A Little Thing
by Omicron the IceQueen
Summary: Meet Tallen, a young woman who's in college and just starting the whole 'live on your own thing.' Watch her suddenly become a mother overnight. Literally. Just not in the way one would first think. Life has its curveballs, some are sharper then others
1. No way

**A Little Thing**

The apartment wasn't that big, two bedrooms, a tiny, tinny 'hall,' a bathroom, a kitchen and the rest of the space was a cross between a living room and dinning room. The apartment was quite warm despite the wind and rain just outside the windows in the dark night. The place was sandwiched in the middle of four other apartments in the complex so it didn't need as much heating in the winter.

It was well lit at the moment, almost every light was turned on so the young woman could see what she was cleaning or working on. The kitchen was nearly spotless in comparison to what it had been like just that morning. Plastic and paper bags full of cans, SoBee and PowerAid bottles, an empty pizza box, a ton of old news papers (minus the comics that were now hiding on top of the fridge) and other recyclables were piled near the door where they could be grabbed the next morning as the woman left to go to college.

The T.V. was also on, as was the X-box with a game in it. The somewhat large screen showed a setting in the Bionicle game world were the Toa Nuva of Air, Lewa, was perched high up on a rock spire, overlooking a lake and a few smaller spires, one looking like it was going to collapses if a father brushed it. Massive trees that were as tall, if not taller than skyscrapers were in the back ground.

The volume of the TV was turned to its maximum setting so the woman could listen to the rhythmic drum beats as she worked. Though the music ended up trailing off after if cycled through a few times, letting the sounds of frogs, insects and the occasional bird play out their endless loop.

The young woman was a student at the local Community College, she was twenty two years old, nearly twenty three, and worked at her family's business part time and did 'odd jobs' almost everywhere to cover the cost of text books, food, living and gifts for the upcoming Christmas season. Though for the last half year she had been working more than normal to cover the cost of an upcoming dive trip to an island in the Dutch Caribbean, Bonaire.

She was reasonably attractive, not overly so. She stood at about five foot five despite that fact she claimed to be five foot six and often joked about her height saying she was 'Half short, haft tall; because half of the people she met were taller them her and the other half shorter. Besides, she _still_ had to drag a chair over to reach something on the top shelf. She had dark blond-ish hair that had a habit of sticking up every-which-way if brushed too much or ignored (like it was most of the time). Her eyes were a green/blue color, or hassle as her driver licenses' clamed them to be. The young woman wasn't the thinnest thing around but wasn't fat either, though she was trying to lose some pounds before the big dive trip like almost any female teenager would.

Hey, she wanted to look good in her new swimsuit! You never know when you might met a guy you actually like.

Her name was Tallen, named after a dragon slayer in some old book that her mother read and loved. She staunchly refused to let anyone other than immediate family call her 'Tally.' To her that nickname was just for family and no one else. Tallen wasn't overly fond of being referred to as 'Miss Patrick,' but was now having a grand old time at the collage telling people, "I'm sorry but I'm Tallen, Miss Patrick is my grandmother and she lives in Alaska." However, the young woman also answer to the names: Omicron, Omie or Icy, thanks to her best friend and a few others calling her those nicknames for the past three or so years, most from the internet.

It was Sunday night on a long weekend and Tallen was perched on a mound of blankets on her bed, her wireless keyboard in her lap and the wireless mouse on a small piece of cardboard beside her as she stared owlishly at her half written essay for her English class. Despite the game sounds from the X-box out in the living room, she had 'Shadow's Apology' from YouTube-dot-com playing in another window as she tried to think of what else to put in her essay. At the moment she had hit a minuet writer's block and was debating on poking at some of her other short stories (fan fictions) or working on one of her books.

Yawning hugely Tallen blinked at the tiny time display on her computer screen.

Nine-twenty-two.

It wasn't even ten yet and it felt like it was one-thirty.

"Hmmm." Tallen looked up at the red transformer toy that was glomping the top of her screen. She gave a faint smile and asked the toy, "Still in love with my computer Sideswipe?"

The toy didn't reply as it continued to hug the screen, madly in love with it. At lest he wasn't standing on the speakers and doing gods knew what to the poor screen any more. Tallen shook her head, she couldn't for the life of her remember why on earth she had posed the transformer like that, other than it had been funny at the time. It had been late then and she tended to get very….strange that late night with little to no sleep.

Yawning again Tallen stretched, and pulling the keyboard off her lap rolled out of bed. She went about turning everything off (including the computer) and starting getting ready for sleep. At one point she winced and backtracked to the kitchen to down some painkillers for cramps. It was 'that time,' but she was over the worse of it so it was all good, as long as her supply of tampons lasted...

_Anyways_, to get away that subject because a lot of people are uncomfortable with it…

Tallen had to remake her bed and dump all the junk she piled on top of it that day onto the ground she crawled under her mass of blankets, intending to turn in early for once.

Too bad fate decided to throw a completely unexpected and somewhat impossible curveball at her that night in the form a unique infant that seemingly showed up out of nowhere.

It was the next morning that she met the child. It's cries had jerked her awake and for a few moments her fogged up mind thought she was on Vancouver island with one of her sisters and her family instead of Washington state. But as she pushed back the covers, reality reinserted its self and Tallen realized that, no the crying wasn't coming from any of her neighbors but from her own living room. Confused but also worried the young woman stumbled over her Speech text book, a bra, a boom-box and sandal as she scrambled out of her room.

She froze when she saw what was making all the noise and stared in compete shock. There on the two low coffee tables that where shoved side by side in front of the couches, bundled up in her large aqua and white colored poncho and crying his little green eyes out was a baby.

A _hedgehog_ baby.

A _blue_ and tan _anthro hedgehog_ baby.

"Oh my…" Tallen chocked and couldn't finish as she stared.


	2. And just HOW is this possible!

**A Little Thing**

Tallen froze as she came into the living room and saw what had been crying, she stared in complete shock. There on the two low coffee tables that where shoved side by side in front of the couches, bundled up in her large aqua and white colored poncho and crying his little green eyes out was a baby.

It was a _hedgehog_ baby.

A _blue_ and tan (almost apricot) colored, _anthro hedgehog_ baby.

"Oh my…" Tallen chocked and couldn't finish as she stared.

This was impossible! It was completely illogical and improbable! It defied the laws of reason and made the young woman _really_ question her sanity. Or lack thereof as it now seemed…

The baby anthro gave another piteous wail, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Tallen felt something inside her twist and she moved. She had _never_ been able to listen to an infant, of any kind, truly cry for help or in pain for long without trying to help. It was really hard when it was someone else's child. Despite her somewhat young age the woman had already started to develop maternal instances thanks to nearly six years or more of watching over and taking care of both her sisters' kids and working with children at the Vancouver Aquarium. Not to mention all the hours spent babysitting for her cozens.

So, it wasn't any big surprise that, after hearing that last cry, Tallen acted without really thinking.

"Hey, hey, shhhh, it's okay. It's okay…" Tallen carefully picked up the small blue hedgehog being mindful of the still developing spines that were a little pokey, not really sharp yet. The young woman shifted him in her arms so she could stoke his back lightly running her fingers though his soft fur.

Tiny and gloveless tan hands with equally tiny claws grasped the fabric of her oversized shirt that served as her pajamas and clung to her with all the force of a love struck sea star. (Starfish as it's commonly know.) The baby hedgehog shoved his face into her shoulder, hiding from whatever it was that scared him so much. Tallen started to rock, crooning comfortingly as she hugged and reassured the child like she would for any of her sisters' children.

Five minutes later she was sitting down cross-legged on the spot and the anthro hedgehog had calmed down now that there was a warm, living person cuddling him. Shifting again Tallen gently pried the little fingers off of their death grip and moved the hedgehog to her lap and stared, blinking.

"Now," She said, more to herself then anything, "Where on Earth did you come from?"

Sonic stared right back, his clear, emerald green eyes blinking up at her as he try to make sense of her words.

"To bad you're not older huh?" Tallen gave a half smile. Sonic's ears pricked up and he smiled back and grabbed at her shirt again. Automatically the woman pulled him into a light hug…well it was hard NOT to…he was just so _cute_ and _huggable_ when like this! Not that she wouldn't mind hugging an older Sonic mind you, but an older Sonic might not be as affectionate as this little one was turning out to be.

"Okay…now that that's out of my system for now…" Tallen stood, one arm wrapped around Sonic as he tried to reach up and grab her somewhat frizzy hair. She looked around trying to find a clue that might explain this impossibly that just became a reality. All that she could see, other than a real baby Sonic that was out of place was her poncho. That had been hanging on a chair last night drip-drying, now it was dry and on the coffee tables. Reaching out she nabbed the garment and looked it over.

A white envelope fell out and flutter to the flour.

Both human and hedgehog blinked at it.

Making a worried sound in the back of her throat Tallen eyed the plain white envelope. Where did it come from? _Who_ left it? And HOW did they get into the apartment?! Tallen's eyes flicked to the dead bolt on the front door.

It was locked.

So then _how...?_

"Ien!" Sonic 'said' and was no longer interested in the paper thing that wasn't moving anymore, he nabbed lock of the woman's hair and tugged; trying to get a better look at near golden stuff. He was feeling better now and it showed.

"Oww, hey you, no…" Tallen tossed the poncho onto one to the couches and tried to rescue her hair. A few minutes and a slight scolding later Sonic was perched on her hip as she was plucking the envelope up off the ground. Turning it over and not finding any writing Tallen sighed and sat on the coffee table, Sonic crawling to her lap and with a muffled "Chooo…" glomped her middle in an odd bout of affection.

"Oh my god," The woman blinked down at him, wondering if he was, or already have imprinted on her. No. That couldn't be right, could it? Hedgehogs were raise be their birth mothers (if she remember correctly) so…why was…?

Tallen shook her head, it was too early to think of that and she needed caffeine…but that envelope took priority at the moment. Sliding one of her longer nails under the sealed flap, Tallen carefully worked the thing open and pulled out a paper with the following letter neatly printed out:

Miss Talon,  
We apologize for suddenly forcing the responsibilities of the care of Project Sonic on you,  
but it is no longer safe for us to keep him here with the growing threat of Doctor Robotnik,  
his army and his invention 'The robotisizer' so close at hand. Please care for Project Sonic  
until the time when the situation calms or he is old enough to handle his own safety and the  
responsibly of being the one we have chosen and made to fight back the Robotnik threat.  
As an added warning, the Project Sonic has not been conscious in his stay here at the labs.  
We believe there is a great chance that he might imprint on the first female subject to care.  
for him, just so you know.

Kind regards,  
…………………

"What the hel…heck?" Tallen asked and just caught herself from swearing, a habit she was trying to break. She re-read the letter a few times.

"'Eck!" Sonic echoed after peering at the paper and trying to see why it was so fascinating it, "Eh?" those clear green eyes looked up at her and the woman could almost see the little question marks hovering over the hedgehog's head.

"Well, first off," She said glaring at the paper, "They spelt my name wrong. Second of all, they sure are a bunch of irresponsible twits if you ask me, and what's this about 'project Sonic?'" Tallen looked down at her new charge who tipped his ears up at her. "I thought you were born, not made…"

"Ki-oy da he doo..."

The human quirked an eyebrow up at that and asked, "Oh really?"

"Ien! Kikikikikikikikiki…." Sonic grasped at her shirt, leaned back and rambled off in that way infants tend to do when they are just realizing that they can make all sorts of sounds. His tail twitching this way and that and brushing her legs, it wasn't really 'wagging,' just twitching about with energy.

Tallen smiled, she couldn't help it. Her gaze moved back to the paper and scanned it once more. '_We believe there is a great chance that he might imprint on the first female subject to care for him._' Well, _that_ would explain why she was getting so many hugs and glompings, but that wasn't what really worried her right now.

_How_ did these mysterious people get _into_ her apartment in the first place without her waking up?!

"Ki-oy!" The baby hedgehog tugged on her shirt to get her attention, once he had it he looked up at her with wistful, glassy eyes like he might start to cry again.

"What's wrong little one?" Tallen asked looking down at him, not really expecting him to answer her.

Sonic freed one hand and stuffed the fingers into his mouth and tried to talk again but it was muffled and distorted so it came out like: "Keeee-vvvoy bcks!"

"You're hungry?" the woman guessed and blinked in bafflement as Sonic nodded, seeming to forget that his figures were still in his mouth. Gently pulling them out Tallen stood, wondering what level of maturity Sonic was mentally. Physically he could be much older than a year, a year and a half at tops.

And what _do_ hedgehogs eat anyways? Anthro, baby hedgehogs that is…


	3. I…am so screwed

**A Little Thing**

Sonic, as it turned out, was a remarkably fast learner. Although he couldn't speak all that well, he was quickly picking up on almost half of everything I talked to him about. One of the first things he learned (other then apple sauce not only tasted good but stuck fur too easily) was the things that were a 'no,' as well as things that were 'hot' and 'owe.'

The 'owe' lessen was the fastest learned when Sonic grabbed my aloe plant. I know it may not be the nicest, but I still think it was a little funny.

After I calmed Sonic down and kissed his hand, I told him that was both an 'owe' and a 'no.' Then the same with other things such as the knife rack (and that was shoved up in the cabinet above the stove), the stove itself, under the sinks and of course my two pet snakes.

I'm so proud of myself, and Sonic, because I managed to make a game out of it for him. And like I said, Sonic was a _fast_ learner.

"Ki-Oy!"

And he had latched onto calling me 'Ki-Oy.' Nothing else, I was 'Ki-Oy.' I don't mind really, it was cute.

"Ki-_Oy!_"

"I'm right here hedgie." I licked the pudding off of my finger as I turned to look at the little hedgehog sitting on my poncho on the kitchen floor behind me. Sonic was playing with my Bionicle toys and some of my transformer toys, minus any pointy or too small bits that could be chocked on.

"Wha'cha got Sonic?"

"Keeen!" Sonic held up a Bionicle and carefully showed me how to move its arms.

"Cool! You did it!"

Sonic giggled and proceeded to do his new found trick a few more times just to make sure I saw him do it.

For the last week it's been a little like trail and error for us. That fist night (or morning. . .) had me spazzing for a few reasons. One being giving Sonic something he shouldn't eat. I knew that just because something was good for me didn't mean if would be good for him. So I settled on a nectarine, and Sonic liked it well enough.

Of course, he had gotten a lot of the juices in his fur somehow, so that had to be cleaned up. I got a hug so I was happy.

That's another thing I've noticed, Sonic did not like to be alone. Even for a few minutes (or when I had to go to the bathroom. . .) he had to keep me in sight. It made me wonder again about this 'Project Sonic' thing as well as how Sonic had been treated. The letter I found with him said he'd been asleep or something, up until he was plopped into my living room. But how can I tell if it was true?

I couldn't, so I tried not to worry too much about it since I can't do anything about it. Other then take care of my new charge.

"Okay hedgie."

Sonic looked up from investigating another Bionicle toy. I smiled and sat down with him, my smile widened at he climbed up into my lap and promptly hugged my middle.

Oh god, this guy was far too cute for his own good!

"I said you can try this," I showed him the cup I had just put some putting in…I hope he wasn't allergic to soy. Yes soy, as in soy putting. There's only one brand I found that's good, and only the pecan flavor out of that brand.

"Oooo…" Sonic leaned closer, sniffing the small bit of pudding on the offered spoon before opening his mouth. The hedgie squirmed in delight, liking the taste and then reached for the spoon.

"No, no." I pulled it away, getting another bit for him. "I'll work the spoon Sonic."

"'Oon!" he echoed, taking the bite.

"Spoon."

"Ooon."

"Ssspoon."

"Sss…oon!"

"SssPoon."

"……POON!"

"…Close enough." I shrugged, it was better then when I tried to get him to say my real name. I'm weird (in more than one way), I don't like it when my name gets warped, so I let Sonic keep calling me Ki-Oy.

"'Ore Ki-Oy?" Sonic tilted his head back against my chest so he could look up at me. I tweaked one his ears and laughed when Sonic reached up to cover both of them with a, "Ah!"

"No more right now Sonic." I said standing and moving him to my hip. "Maybe after some real food…" I paused, did I just say that? Holy crap! I did!

Oy, this coming from the woman that'll have ice cream if I don't feel like cooking…yeah, I don't think I should do that around Sonic…

"Alright, what should we make for dinner hedgie?" I asked looking around the kitchen for ideas.

Realizing he wasn't go to get any more pudding, Sonic squirmed and looked down at the toys, "Eh?" He glanced at me before pointing down, "Ki-Oy?"

"Okay," I kissed the blue hedgehog between the ears and put him back on the poncho in the middle of the semi-mess he'd made.

"Hmm…"

Maybe I should make soup?

I looked at the digital clock on the microwave. As I did several things hit me at once; one of which was that I had to not only finish two papers but get them to the college in an hour and a half!

"Shhhhh…icks." I _just_ managed to keep from swearing out load before running into the living/dinning room. Thank god for laptops, I brought mine into the kitchen before Sonic could miss me. I set the alarm on my cell phone to go off in an hour, it took fifteen minutes to get to the college, ten to print out my papers and sort them and five minute mad dash to two professors…

I…am so screwed.


	4. The Run About

**A Little Thing**

You know what?

Sonic is one lucky little dork! It's almost to the point where I think it over-flows to other people around him.

Like me.

Not like I'm complaining mind you!

You see, on the way to my college Sonic had fallen asleep in the back seat of my Saturn. Yeah I know I have a dinky little car but I love it. Since I don't have anything remotely like a car seat, I had to improvise. I.e. my poncho. Sonic was sitting in the middle with said poncho wrapped around him.

Of course, as you can imagine, I was totally a paranoid driver to the extreme. I mean I have driven like this since I first started! But hey, I _know_ what people drive like on Interstate 5! I mean I go the speed limit, and that's seventy MPH, and there's _still_ idgets that pass me going another twenty MPH faster.

…At least they're going to get the speeding ticket and not me! HAH!

Back to the point though; when you combined a small child (that's just come down from an energy high from playing), a car ride and soft jazz, what do you get?

And no, it's not car sickness.

By the time I parked half way in the boonies (_you_ try parking anywhere close to a building at a college without a handicap thingy _when classes are in!_), Sonic was asleep. Let me tell you, a sleeping hedgie will never, not be cute!

Anyways, this new development just made my life easier. Why? Simple: since there was no way in hell that I would leave Sonic in the car, someone could see him and flip out for one reason or another. That or Sonic would wake up when I'm gone and start crying again…

Oy, I wouldn't be able to focus as I worried about that.

Yet with Sonic being conked out, I could carry him, and I did. Only I had my poncho on, effectively hiding the hedgie. Like this, it was almost scary how no one saw that the 'baby' I was watching was really a hedgehog…

Once again! I'm not going to complain! ...but it was still _weird_.

* * *

I like having friends

Really, it's awesome because I'm the friend that normally lets everyone rant, rave and cry and try to help them as best I can. In doing so, for putting up with my friends when they're near hysterical and such, I get a lot of Starbucks drinks as well as a few 'I-O-U's.

I'm so cashing in one right now!

It's great having a wide open space like this, no one around for at least a mile with the exception of Sonic and the poor guarder snakes and grass hoppers he was intent on chasing. Or try and eat. Either way he hadn't caught anything but grass blades.

We were at a farm that belonged to a friend's grandparents. It was about an hours drive from my apartment, and I had to get up about three hours earlier than I normally do (four if given a chance to sleep in), but...I think it was worth it.

At least, Sonic thought seeing his very first sunrise in a half grown hay field was worth putting up with me carrying him around half sleep and making him wake up to see the light show.

And...well, honestly I felt like a mom. Strangely...

I also felt selfish for being able to see Sonic's little face light up in pure, untainted awed expression like it did. Sonic couldn't take his eyes off the sunrise as it painted the scattered clouds with shades or red and orange. I couldn't look away from the little hedgehog's face...

It's strange, almost like being hypnotizes but...not. More like a light trance like state when you find something shinny and beautiful and new or just plain 'WOW!'

We were making a day of it!

I had my homework in one bag (oh god this thing was so bloody _heavy!_). In another bag I had enough food to feed three teenage boys...what? We needed the morning meal, lunch and passably a light dinner.

Add to that that Sonic has started showing signs of being a bottomless pit...I had a bag of apples in my car back at the ranch. I also had an umbrella and my poncho since it might shower in the afternoon.

All and all, this was a perfect time to get away from my nosy brother and more importantly a wonderful opportunity for Sonic to stretch his legs. Both fugitively and physically that is.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-Oyyyyyyyyyyy!"

This would be the fifth...sixth time. Oh well. I went to go save Sonic from the giant grasshopper (I swear if these were any bigger I'd call them locus) that had landed on his head.

Well, you can't deny that this wasn't fun, and it was only _eight thirty_!

...joy no?

The day was a lot like that, Me getting only half my work done and the rest of the time running after Sonic. Either saving him from this scary thing or that weird looking thing, keeping him from eating that poor traumatized frog and explained to Sonic why it was bad to go poo in a garden are the basic highlights.

I was right about him starting to b a bottomless pit, before dinner we ran out of food _and_ apples! So the day closed a tad sooner than expected or planned. Which meant I had to time myself in getting us back to my car without being seen.

Which let me tell you is quite a bit harder than it looks!

I am thankful of Jaime's grandparents for letting me come out her. But I saw how 'Grandma' freaked out over a mouse twenty feet away (said mouse is in a box in my trunk waiting to be snake food. Hehehehe...) and didn't want her having a heart attack at seeing Sonic.

Hey, I know all too keenly how people...how we humans in general act and react to things we don't understand. Even to other humans.

I was always the oddball out and on the reviving end of a lot of crap. Still am. But I'm a lot bigger than I use to be and let me tell you: I may never take the first swing, but I sure as hell will take the last one after all is said and done.

If _anyone_ tried _anything_ with Sonic...I'm pretty sure they'd need Medicare

"Huh..." I quirked an eyebrow up and drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. I suddenly, truly feel like a mother...


	5. we all fall down

**A Little Thing**

Do you know that trance like state that was between true sleep and wakefulness? It's like you hover there drifting ever more slowly in and out of awareness before you really fall asleep.

In this state, normal sounds are amplified much louder then they would seem normally.

When you're like this and there's a loud sound it scare the crap out of you. Like, say, when a car in the parking lot backfires almost under your window.

Sonic let out what could be called a yip at the sound and then yelped again as I jerked up right. Eyes wide I held Sonic with one arm to my left side, using the other hand to shield him from…

From…

What the hell? We were alone in the apartment, my room was lit with the read heat lamp in my closet where my snake was enough to see by with night vision.

Out side the vehicle back fired again.

This time, with understanding I glanced at my clock (4:36 am?!) before letting go of Sonic so I could pull down the little sting that raised my blinds. Funny how that is…ah, there's my random late night thinking kicking in.

Another back fire snapped back my focus and I clenched my jaw seeing the little Anthro hedgehog shiver and cling to my pillow in reaction to the back fire since I wasn't in his immediate grabbing range.

"OY!" I yelled out the widow after opening it, three men looked up and I glared, "If it doesn't work the second time leave it until day light!" Huffing I closed window and blinds before gathering up Sonic and my blankets before moving out to the living room.

"Ki-Oy?" Sonic asked looking up at me, his eyes were somehow wide and half lidded at the same time.

"It's okay hedgie." I muttered, arranging ourselves on the couch in a snug cocoon. It was Sunday and by god I was going to sleep in one way or another! It seemed Sonic agreed, once he'd calm down after I promised to sick my snake on the men if they 'banged' anymore.

Several hours latter I woke up under my comforter, half curled up around the baby hedgehog with him snuggled up to my chest. I don't think I'd have the 'aw' reaction to this pose if Sonic was older.

Eh, who cares? I had a hedgie that was snuggling with me!

When Sonic woke up some time later he really didn't seem to mind me. So we spent a long time just laying on couch in our cocoon of a blanket (I like really big comforters okay?) cuddling and, essentially, bonding.

I really didn't want to get up. At least until the need to pee couldn't be ignored any longer. That, and Sonic farted. So that was a 'run away!' moment right there.

Really!

I am _not_ kidding!

That little guy _will_ kill you if your caught unprepared!

I have no idea how he does it, I've been feeding Sonic good food….okay, okay I tried the chilly-dog thing _once_. Honestly! Just once! And they were the little smoker things. Why? I like them, and normal hotdogs were too big and weren't on sale.

What? I was a collage student…I didn't have a lot of money.

Sonic and I went through our new morning routine. Well, the one that didn't include rushing out to morning class.

I changed Sonic's night time diaper (he had no problem in the day and would let me know when he had to go but at night…not so much), and gave him a bath. Than I have to give my self a shower, hit my head against wall when Sonic cried, bring Sonic into the shower with me after finding my swim suit. Make blueberry pancakes and watch Sonic inhale more food then I can eat.

Wow…

I think…I think I may have to call my mom for help.

It didn't feel like giving up like I thought it might have…I just wanted help from my own mother. She had four kids after all, and five grand kids…

Besides, I _knew_ my mother!

She's not the kind of person to freak out at something new or (extremely) different like seeing an Anthro hedgehog baby. Sonic wasn't really an infant, but at the same time...

He was sitting on the other side of the couch waving a hand in front of him with an confused, almost dazed look.

Wait, I frowned as the familiar feeling of light-headedness overcame me. I gripped the armrest and a fistful of the comforter we were on and squinted. Everything had a slightly hazy look to it, like there was a tint of tan or copper to the room...

"…" still gripping the armrest I lifted my other hand to my head.

What was going on?

Why was this all happening…it was like…everything was narrowing like in a tunnel. The only time this happened to me before was when I almost got bent on a dive. I haven't been diving in almost a month though. So what else could do something like…like…

GAS!

Adrenalin spiked and I sat up, eyes wide.

Sonic was on his side, eyes closed and half curled up. I reached out for him and pulled my hedgie into my arms. The door was just to my right on the other side of the armrest.

Deadbolt…deadbolt…where was the deadbolt?!

I felt myself hit the ground, a little. I think I did… I couldn't tell if it was the carpet inside the apartment or the concrete pathway outside.


	6. Baby Baby Baby Baby Baby!

**A Little Thing**

I woke up with the sensation of hands where they should most definitely _not_ be. So in hind sight it was understandable that I sat up with a cry and did the only thing I could think of doing.

I hit the giant raccoon.

Hmm, looks like I hadn't lost that reaction after all.

Though granted I had developed that 'come up hitting' more from the insane war games me and my just as crazed cosines had come up with in the summers when I was younger. Those days had been awesome even with all the assorted burses, cuts and scraps we would be _covered_ in after just a day. The few times we had needed stitches had been worth the pain. My cosines and I would sometimes camp out but most of the time we'd go the night through playing a nocturnal version of the war games.

But all that was beside the point other then I was surprised that I still had the reflex of coming up hitting that I got from the night time version of our old game.

"Ow!"

"What the hell?!"

"Well, it seems that you are fine after all."

"What the hell?!" I said again, feeling that I need to repeat my self. Now off the table I had been on and wrapping one arm over my chest. I still had on my bra but I was also lacking a proper shirt! Thank go my jeans were still on. Belt included. Though I was barefoot…was I before?

I stood in what looked like a cross of a lab, doctor's office and a living room.

It was _freezing!_

Didn't help that there was metal under my feet. The walls looked metal as well, only they were painted a cream color. I had been on the examining table before being so rudely (and pervertedly –was that even a word?) awakened. I had hit what could only be an anthro raccoon and rolled off the table, grabbing anything that came into range that could be used as a weapon. My hand closed on something and I backed away, hit a computer, yelped and sidestep only to fall over the arm of a couch.

My brilliant opinion on the whole situation was: "….ow."

A cautious, furry head peeked over the top of the couch, interrupting my view of the half painted ceiling. "Are you done?" the raccoon anthro asked in an oddly high voice that was at the moment more amused then anything.

"That would depend." I said conversationally. Very politely if I do say so myself.

"May I ask what this depends on?" The raccoon asked again with no hesitation what so ever.

"It depends if you were the one that took off my shirt." I kept the pleasant tone, but curled up my lip partly to show off my teeth in that instinctive show of aggression.

"Before I answer yes of no," The raccoon said and lifted a finger, "The removal of your shirt was, was to attend to the cuts and stitches needed. You did land on Project Sonic after all."

"Sonic?!" short term memory belatedly woke up and I bounced back to my feet.

"Wait! Wait!" the raccoon hurried around the couch, "Calm down you'll tare the stitches- oh. Oh no you already did."

That's when I actually looked down. True enough there were long cuts on my abdomen and slightly to the right. Several of them were deep enough that there were stitches that held the edges of skin together. It was only now, because I was looking at them did I become aware of the pain.

My spazz attack had indeed pulled some of the stitches. It was not pretty.

"Wow…that's a lot of blood." I commented, feeling tears well up in an automatic reaction. I thought it was scalp wounds that bleed a lot, wasn't it?

"Here, here, lay back down." Hands with long, slender fingers turned and guided me back to the table and the anthro helped me back up on it. "Now give me that tread back, good, good. I'm going to fix this if you'll let me."

I didn't quite lie back all the way, instead I propped myself up on my elbows and watched with a mixture of that morbid fascination and some shook at the anthro himself. Blood didn't bother me so much any more. It was actually the concept of a needle going into the flesh like fabric that got me.

"You don't have to watch." The raccoon anthro said, he had on a doctor's lab caught on and a pair of…bunny slippers? Bright yellow bunny slippers? …Okay. Like I said before his voice was a little high, but still very male, his eyes were what made me relax my guard a bit. Intelligent but kind.

"It's worse when I'm not watching." I admitted and winced as I watched the needle go in and then out. It was true. I've had stitches more then a few times.

"My name is Jack." The anthro, Jack said.

I blinked, "Uhh…Tallen." I said after a moment, winced again.

"Ah, ah," Jacked smiled, "It's nice to finally, properly meet you. It was a little, little nerve racking to not know at least the name of the caretaker."

I blinked at him again. "…What?"

"Well, well," Jack said and I finally noticed how he kept repeating some words, "The soul reader is all well and good, good." He said as he started to put several odd looking bandages on my cuts as well as covering the re-stitched ones, "But I, I think that it's nice to know the name of the caretaker of, of our hope to defeat Robotnik."

I could only blink again, not grasping the meaning of his words. Soul reader…?

Sometimes the best thing to say is the simplest: "…eeeeh?"

Jack blinked.

I blinked.

"Oh that's right, right!" Jack said with a tad of embarrassment, "I'm terribly, terribly sorry. You wouldn't know every thing now would you?"

"…no…"

"Well, well," The raccoon doctor watched me sit up, "We had to get Project Sonic away from here, and there was no real safe, safe place on Mobius were we could hide it." he paused, and only when I nodded did Jack continue, "So the others stole on of Robotnik's inventions and we used the soul reader, reader to find a person that matched up with a caretaker. Someone, one who would care for the Project."

I twitched, "Sonic is not an 'it.'" I managed to get out.

"See, see Miss Tallen?" Jack beamed. He seemed utterly oblivious to female wrath of a growing level, "Even with out it being in the same room you're defending it!"

I felt my nails scrape on the table under me as I made fists out of my hands. Did I just growl? Eh, wouldn't be the first time.

"Sonic is. Not. An. 'It.'" I said again, a tad slower. Maybe that would work.

Jack smiled, "Well, well technically it is male." He paused as he looked at me, "Is something wrong?"

"Where's my hedgie?" I demeaned and promptly chucked my like of this human sized raccoon anthro out the metaphorical window.

Jack again displayed a lack of being able to pick up feminine ire, "Oh, oh! This is splendid!" He said and clasped his hands, "We knew the Project would imprint, but only hopped that there would be a reversal imprinting of the caretaker as well, well!"

I think I just developed a twitch. It wasn't over a pleasant feeling at that.

How ever, that didn't stop something from going _snap_ in my head.

"God damn it to hell with a flower basket!" I yelled standing up fully at my grand total of five feet five inches and glared up at the just slightly taller Anthro. "_Stop_ _that_ and tell me where my hedgie is!"

Jack whimpered and shrank away.

"…I've said it before and I will say it again: Jack, you are the _worst_ with the finer gender."

I spun around to face the new voice and once again felt the need to repeat this phrase in my state of heighten annoyance and aggravation, "What the hell?!"

…….Oh right, there _were_ bird type anthros.

This person had on the same kink of lab jacket as Jack did, as well as a pair of glasses that somehow stay perfectly balanced, or was anchored to his golden shaded beak. The wings were fused with the arms of course, but he somehow had hands and the arms were also in sleeves. I have no idea _how_.

His coloring was a cross of white and pink with a little yellow. The anthro bird also managed to pull off a dignified air to him.

And yet…

All I could think about for a moment was one of my best friend's cockatoos standing in my shirt with his head under my chin going 'Baby-Baby-Baby-Baby-Baby!'

* * *

Queen's Note: LA-GASP! An update! XD That's right I'm back! And I have several bombshells to boot! Though granted I don't know if these bombshells have anything inside them, I can't tell just yet. I haven't gotten the nerve to tap on them yet for fear something will go 'boom' in my face.


	7. luck Or lack there of

**A Little Thing**

"And _another_ thing...!"

Yes, I was on a _roll_ here people. I was managing to scold the day light out of these two Anthros. I'm not really sure how I was doing but I was! At least, I _was_ on a roll for a good ten minutes until something small, pointy, crying and bright white collided with my legs.

Thus I tripped since we, Jack, Lark (yes that was the cockatoo anthro's name) and I had been in a hall at this point. I was adding to my rant with a waving arm, not both since the first time I tried that I almost pulled my re-stitched side out again. I really didn't want that needle again.

However, I was now sprawled out and painfully I might add because of said stitches and aware that I had fresh gouges on my shins and knees. The moment I rolled to my side to see just what the hell that white torpedo had been, the thing glomped my chest (Ooooow….! The stitches! ...I think I lost one…), small arms wrapping around my neck and a face buried in my neck.

"Hedgie?" I wrapped my own arms around the whimpering bundle of… Of…

"Oh dear." Jack said, blinking down at my and the _white_ hedgie in my arms.

I think he summed it up pretty well don't you?

"…that project isn't supposed to be started." Lark said, blinking as well.

I rolled away from them and scooted up right into a sitting position. I had just managed to pry the hedgie off enough to glimpse the golden eyes when I was ran over. Well, okay more like I was knocked over after being tackled again (this is going to get old fast, oh my poor abdomen and side…). I was now staring up at the ceiling with two fuzzy weights on my chest and clinging with enough force that I was starting to wonder how on earth I was still breathing.

A raccoon and then an avian face peeked into my line of sight.

I blinked at Jack and Lark.

Lark and Jack blinked back at me.

"I think," I said, having a sneaking suspension, "I'm about to yell at you some more."

The two exchanged looks and I carefully lifted my head to look at what, or rather, _who_ was now using my person for a crash mat as much as a shield. One set of gold eyes and one set of bright red eyes met my own gaze.

Both boys clung tighter as they spotted the two doctors.

I think I twitched.

I turned my head to the side to look at a pair of yellow bunny slippers and narrowed my eyes before carefully getting up to a sitting position.

_This_ time I didn't scold. I _ranted!_ And damn if it didn't feel good!

Once I had put the fear of god and all female kind into the two, did we realized that in that two hedgies clinging to me had imprinted. Much like Sonic had done, and also like my blue hedgie these two were just as clinging as he been the first few days. Not that I blame them after I got a glimpse into the room they had ran out of. Only a glimpse though because Lark had hurriedly shut the door on another anthro (a canine type of some sort) for it was in the middle of my rant.

The rant itself I will admit that it wasn't fully mine. I was barrowing from my mother and grandmother and adding in a few more colorful things here and there as well as fitting it as best I could to the situation.

It was a good while later before I was calmed down enough to look around. I, and my two new and downy soft heat leaches were in a room. The door was open... no wait, there was no door. But I was sitting on a bed with my legs crossed and the two spiky fuzz balls in my lap.

"Oh no way," I said now that I was getting a good look at the two hedgies.

"I'm afraid so," Lark said from where he was sitting in the corner of this small, bare room. "They weren't supposed to be made yet, nor awake for that matter."

I looked up and then back down. Carefully I framed the face of the black hedgie with some red streaks in his quills. The quills weren't bent upwards like I was use to seeing, but down curving like Sonic's. Wide, bright red eyes that still had some lingering traces of fear looked up at me and I felt something go _crack_ in my chest. Not physically, nor completely metaphorically. It _hurt_ at the same time it didn't and I wrapped the hedgie up in a hug, pausing to sighed a little so the white hedgie could get up under my arm too.

"Do I really need to ask?" I looked up again after kissing both boy's between the ears.

"The albino is pr-erm, his name is Silver. The het albino is Shadow." Lark said not looking away. That's something I had to give this guy, he would back up, but never run.

I had thought as much, but needed to hear it said aloud. I sighed and then frowned, "Where's Sonic?"

Lark hesitated for only a moment before lifting his crest, "He is currently going through an enhancement program. No," he added as I started to move, "It is a harmless, breathable gas."

"And why don't I believe you," I demanded, scooting to the edge of the bed, hissing at the pain f the stitches when the hedgie Shadow tightened his hold on me. Some part of my mind pointed out that I really should get a shirt, the sports bar wasn't going to cut it.

It seemed my currant luck, or _lack_ there of, struck.

"Earthquake!" Both Lark and I coursed and apparently we had the same kind of reflexes. Ground shaking we all but teleported under the doorframe. The two hedgies gave yelps, painfully digging unfilled claws in as I crouched, pushing Shadow and Silver more under me as dust and some dirt was alarmingly raining down. The avian anthro was braising himself as he leaned over both me and the two boys.

Now, I know earthquakes aren't that common where I come from, or up in Alaska where I used to live. But if there's one thing I've learned is that it's not just tectonic plates moving against one another that's the cause for tremors in the earth. A while back, a few years ago now there had been a gas leak on Whatcom Creek. Two boys lost their lives when the gas was ignited and it had make a quake, as well as a –and I am not kidding here- mushroom cloud over the town for two days.

I try to keep up with my earthquake drills anyways, seeing as once or twice a year I go down to LA with my dad.

Right now though, as I hugged the two hedgies closer, I noticed something...wrong. This wasn't one short, or longer tremor, but several. One right after another. It wasn't like any tremor I've ever felt in my life time, it wasn't natural. What was shouted in a near panicked tone above my head didn't help matters.

"How in the name of golden Mobius did he find us?!" Lark half yelled, half cried.


	8. Priorities sometimes hurt

**A Little Thing**

"Green frame, green frame, green frame..." I was chanting as I gimped along, looked from left to right in the hallway. Lark had told me in that closet what way I needed to go to get to the gas treatment lab, where Sonic was. Another rhythmic rumble came from above making more dirt and grit shift down, added just that much more haze to the hall. I ducked my head down as much to shelter my eyes as those of my black and white remoras'.

Time was blurring a bit with the adrenaline high coursing through my veins. I'm not really that inclined at the moment to find a clock and tell you how many minutes have passed since we took shelter under the door frame. I do know what happened since then, for the most part that is. Lark's first try and maybe instinct was to get me, as well as Shadow and Silver the hell out of Dodge, and he was in the possess of doing that when I planted my feet and almost sat down.

_My_ instincts were also saying get the hell out of Dodge with Shadow and Silver, but I wasn't going anywhere without Sonic. I said so, very loudly in fact... okay, okay so it was more like, "Where the hell is my other hedgie?!"

Having an argument in the middle of a hall and in the middle of an evacuation isn't the best of things you can do. Sadly neither I nor Lark had the manors currently to move to the side as he tried to convince me to leave with the two hedgies and that Sonic was being evacuated as we spoke. I was trying to get him to turn around and come with me to make sure Sonic was safely getting out, the whole time Shadow and Silver were bruising my collar bone and left shoulder as well as digging small yet sharp claws in.

"I can not allow you as a Caretaker to be in that kind of risk my dear let along those to!" The avian anthro's feathers were poofed out and he pointed at the hegies, Silver on my left hip and Shadow more on my front so he wouldn't tare my stitches. My right side was constantly throbbing now as it was. Lark opened his beak again to add something but his head swiveled around and his expression that I could read changed from stern and authoritative to abrupt horror.

I took a step back the other way from where he was looking automatically, hugging my two charges even closer and hunching a tad, trying to push out my shoulder blades more to the sides so to give them that much more protection.

"Karol!" Lark was yelling at a different raccoon anthro from Jack (I didn't see him anywhere in the crowd, where was he?), "What are you doing here?! Where's-"

"There was a collapse at the entrance- whole lab is sealed and Rift was crushed- get the hell out of here Lark!" the anthro with out a lab coat yelled even as he pushed his way to what ever bunker or escape root that was in place for these people.

At that same moment, I didn't care as my world contracted as someone, I didn't see who, collide with me. I only had the impression of movement in my peripheral vision and turned so I would take the brunt of the impending thud of bodies, not Shadow.

I something _pulled_ and then tore, everything seemed to wash out. Colors bled away as my vision unfocused, making the world look like black, white and grey blobs. It took a moment before red trickled into the edges and then small swimming, colored dots came.

_Ow_...

It hurt to the point where I couldn't do anything, I wasn't even sure I was still holding onto the two boys so much they were hanging on now. When I could actually see what I was looking at again I found that we were more in a closet, Lark crouching down and supporting me.

I focused slowly on two little black hands with red lines on the backs of the hands. They went down making the middle and ring fingers red as well as going up to cercal the wrists. Oddly, some part of my mind finally noticed that those where the only red markings on him and the quills weren't arched... Those little hands were clutching my right, and tugged in the way that a child would for attention.

"Shadow?" I asked, blinking away tears of pain. Ruby red eyes blinked back at me and the hedgie tugged again. Wincing, trying to hide a cringe I pulled the boy into a light hug, kissing him between the ears, "I'm okay." I lied, and kissed him again, "I'm okay..." Soft fuzzy white pushed up under my arm as well and I shifter hands, holding my right side with the same hand and wrapping the boys with my left arm.

Shadow stiffened, staring unblinking at the blood on my closer hand, but at the moment I didn't notice.

"We need to get you out of here," Lark said as he attempted to still be a support and tare his coat into a strip or more at the same time.

"Not with out Sonic." I gritted my teeth and rocked to my knees. From there I dug in mentally to lift the boys and stand, I growled when I couldn't and put the boys down. Silver was the lighter of the two that I've noticed… When I pried them off I took Shadow's face, cupping it my hands, "Shadow, hedgie listen vary carefully. I'm going to put you on my back, you're going to have to hang on, but not around my throat, my neck. Do you understand?" I hoped he did, Sonic had under stood so much at first and I needed him in my center of balance.

The boy flattened his ears as he stared right back into my eyes, I could see he was scared. Yet Shadow bit his lower lip and gave two quick, jerky nods. I half lifted half pushed him over and around my right shoulder, waiting for him to wrap his legs around my ribcage and grasp the muscles where the neck met the shoulders, only to shift one hand to hold onto my bra strap.

I pulled Silver into my arms, why hadn't he or Shadow made any sound other then crying before? Were they that scared?

Something in my chest tightened as I stood, it didn't completely have to do with my side. For a moment I was about to let Lark drag me and them off to safety, but then the anthro in question was wrapping a wide strip of fabric around my middle.

"Alright, but let me make sure this doesn't become the end of you." Lark was saying as he slipped another folded cloth other the torn stitched gashes and tied the fabric on my right side. "Sonic was in the gas treatment lab." He started as we both started for the doorless doorway of the closet. Lark tried to hold out his hands for Silver but I hugged the hedgie closer and hissed, why I don't know but I did.

"Momma." Shadow tugged on the loose hair on the left side of my face that fell out of the pony tail I tied it up with some string before.

"Did he just…" Lark stared in astonishment, vocalizing my own thought.

Shadow tugged again and pointed with out letting go of my hair at the door. I cocked my head, angling my better right ear at the door way at the same time Lark shifted his attention to it. We hear it too than, apparently Shadow had better hearing then the two of us put together. Clanking, like a few armored people marching nearly as one.

Somehow, Lark managed to blanch with his feathers, he pushed me over to the side of the frame against the wall and said in a much lower voice, "when it's clear go right out this door. Down the hall, two junctions from here go left, fallow it all the way down, there'll be a green framed doorway. That's the gas treatment lab." He waited the moment it took me to nod, "The observation window isn't shatter proof, normal glass. You can break it. There's a hatch like on a boat at the very far back of the lab, the tunnel beyond leads up into the woods. Get these three to safety no matter what."

Lark gripped my shoulders as I mentally went over what he said, "Okay let's-"

He was gone, in a flurry of feathers and an avian trill he was gone just like that, out the door and to the left. There was a siren of a kind, more of a bleating noise fallow by lifeless, mechanical voice going, "_Priority prisoner! Priority prisoner! Peruse and apprehend! Priority prisoner!_"

I had my hand over Silver's mouth and in the corner, a scant two feet away as what ever was outside clattered by in a thunder of sound and _pulses_ that reminded me of the weapons in my HALO game. Ridged and wide eyed I stood there, realizing what Lark had just done.

Oh my god…

_Oh my god_…

Thirty, maybe forty seconds after everything was quiet I felt a tug on my pony tail. "Momma?" I tiny voice asked in the barest of whispers, I almost didn't hear.

Swallowing thickly and moved Silver, only vaguely aware he was now gripping my right hand as I eased closer to the open door way, listening hard. I peeked both ways, listened again. As far as I could tell it was clear. I stared down the hall to the left for a moment, part of me wanting to go after. I looked down at Silver's wide golden eyes. I kissed him between the ears and turned to the right.

My priority were these two and Sonic, getting them to safety was what Lark had said and by god I was going to do it! ...even if in the inside my stomach was in knots and my heart seemed crumpled, I realized ever so keenly the danger. Though the danger itself was vastly unknown at the moment it was still there, looming and reaching out.

I stopped at the first junction of two halls, listening and looking behind me before peeking around corners. Shadow leaned forwards a little with me, Silver two. Oddly they were looking the other way I was. I darted past and looped as quietly as I could to the next, and it wasn't that quiet other then my feet didn't clump on the metal floor as much as slap.

Okay, too the left… "Shadow watch behind us, tell me if you see _anything_." I said as I started off again but this time I was started to limp, faroring my right side. After a second I started a muttered chant of, "Green frame, green frame, green frame..." looking from left to right in the hallway. Another rhythmic rumble like earthquake came from above making more dirt and grit shift down as well as forcing me to slow down so not to fall, it added just that much more haze to the hall. I ducked my head down as much to shelter my eyes as those of my black and white remoras', trying to get my hair over Shadow's face.

THERE!

The gas treatment lab!

I ducked inside and halted so fast I nearly fell from the momentum hitting me.

* * *

Queen's note: (runs like hell away cackling)


	9. United

**A Little Thing**

There were many different shades of the base colors, its one of the things that made life great really. What I was staring at, was a mix of sea green and blue. I saw that shade once, a few years back as I waded in a dry suit collecting critters for a class. When the plantation rich salt waters of mid summer clashed with the water of a creek, on the ocean side of the brackish water and where swirling silt added a touch a grey to the blue-green mix.

That's what the observation window looked like. No visibility beyond that at all.

Then I took stock of the situation. There was once a door to the left of the large window, but the ceiling on that corner had crumbled down. If this was anything to go by on the other side, then that was out of the question. I don't think I could dig that debris away anyways in a few minutes. My gaze shifted to the widow again.

"Hello there…"

I moved forward, paused to peek out the hall and closed the door as quietly as I could. Spotting a table (with a white table cloth on it no less... weird, it looked more like a small blanket) against this wall I set Silver down on it and turn, feeling my lower back press against the edge. "Off hedgie," there was a hesitation before the hedgie hopped off and I turned back around, "Shadow, Silver, stay right here."

Then I was at the window, feeling the cracks I saw and pressed two fingers against the web near the left side of the frame, feeling it give under the pressure. I tapped the glass for good measure. Okay, I could do this… but how? No way in hell was I doing a movie jump-and-leap-through with bare feet, jeans, a bra and a lot of bare skin.

I looked around and zeroed in on a chair. It was the stiff kind I saw sometimes when working on cleaning a ship for an artificial reef, heavy and made of metal, not wood. "That would work..." I said looking between the chair and glass, then over at hedgies.

Glass when it broke would fly in the directing it was hit, so into the lab not backwards. Call me paranoid but better safe then sorry right? I went back over to the boys, smiling dispite myself as Silver lifted his arms to me.

"Not yet," I said, but lifted him only as long as it took to push the cloth to the right, it bunched against a baffled Shadow. Setting Silver down I lifted Shadow and pulled the cloth out from under him. I had the two sit next to each other and flipped the cloth over the two, confused red and gold eyes peeked out from under the edge, "Keep that over you." I said tugging the edge down so they were completely covered.

I grabbed the chair by it's back and heaved it up, feeling the muscles in my abdomen, back, shoulders and legs bunching up. Damn it this was heaver then it looked! Still feeding off adrenaline I took the three steps to the observation window and twisted my upper body as I slammed the metal chair into the glass. It didn't' quite shatter but the legs of the chair went through. Pulling back and heaving I slammed it again, this time making a nice whole and let the chair slide through to thud on the other side.

I was backing up and coughing in the misty gas that came through to this side. "AH!" Vaguely remembering what Lark had said about the gas being breathable I was still leery as the air around me rapidly thickening and visibility dropped.

But…I was still breathing and staying on my feet.

Non the less I grunted as I eased closer to the window and pulled at the glass on the edges, making the whole bigger and then reaching through to shake off the chair, tilting it from one set of legs to the other to clear it. After that was done I when back, fallowing small coughs to the boys.

Once my leaches were reattached and cloth in hand I use that to double check the chair was clear, dropped the cloth be side it and proceeded to pry Shadow off., "Hedgie," I said, coughed and gasped in air and this blue/green stuff, "I'm going to put you on the chair and you're going to have to climb down to the floor. On the white thing, don't step any where else."

Shadow coughed, but nodded.

I eased him though, feeling glass scrapping my ribs, once sure he was where he should be I did the same to Silver. I was trying not to cough myself as Shadow reached up to tug the albino hedgehog's foot to the right place beside him. Alright my turn… joy.

Okay, hand…other hand…avoid that glass, shift weight, brace foot on wall…ease knee up…BALANCE! …okay shift this foot, move that hand this way, thank god I'm double jointed… move the other knee so it's foot is balanced…wince as my butt is poked by glass, remember half a yoga position for five year ago… That foot goes down here, shift weight again…curse as I get cut on the shine and arm at the same time… now breath and ease down…

I landed on my butt.

I thank god I have jeans on.

Trying to stifle as much of the want to curse against this time more colorfully then a moment ago I carefully picked my self up, brushing off my pants and hands. Delicately placing each foot I moved over to the boys, couched and swung Silver onto my back since he was closer. The white hedgie, now a murcky-pal color, knew what to do as he clung there like Shadow had. Shadow was braced on my left hip and I grabbed the cloth, shaking it off as he tip-toed, wincing, further into the lab.

I could only see about six feet in front of me, and the floor was covered in… in… _something_ that squished between my toes and stung the new cuts on my feet before numbing them. That was not good…

"Sonic?" I called, hacked more then coughed and called a gain, "Sonic! Hedgie! -cough- Let Ki-Oy know where you -cough- are!" I shook the cloth again and started to pull it over Shadow and back over Silver.

A faint, almost unheard, "…oy?" was head.

"Sonic!" I stepped carefully, seeing something that looked like… I turned a little so the boys would notice the limp, lifeless form on the ground. Thankful at least for that, that the soupy haze hid who ever after side stepping.

"Dah!" A voice said behind me and a little pale hand pointed with all the fingers just slightly to my right. Silver coughed and pressed his face into my hair as I started off in the indicated direction as Shadow pointed now too the same way. I didn't dare take a full stride but half steps, reaching my right hand out and feeling my feet squish each time one was place down. Was it getting thicker? I wiggled my toes, yep…ew.

There was a sound like a large AC unit or heater, blowing air somewhere above us. What looked like a table came into view, things on it that I couldn't make out. "Sonic! Make some -cough- noise! Now!"

"Ki-Oooooooy!" An all to familiar voice rang out, a little rough but tinged with a hopeful rise in pitch. I didn't need Shadow's pointing hand as I shuffled along the table, bench, what ever it was.

The sound of air was louder but that's not what had my attention. I put the two boys down on the table. "Don't move." I ordered even as Silver latched onto Shadow. Two steps and my hand was on the tub like…thing. It was cracked and there was a gap, "Hedgie!" I pressed closer, ignoring the slick almost slimy feel. What the hell happened in here?

"Ki-Oy!" a nose poked into the gap and then I could make out a set of eyes, "Mommy!"

Eh...what did he just call me?!

"Mommy! Isz scared…" The nose poked through a gap again.

Since when did Sonic talk that good? Well, relatively speaking that is. I shook my head as I felt the outside of the tube thing, "Hedgie, get-" I dubbed over coughing this time, I felt my head start to lighten. It took some effort but I inhaled as deeply as I could, using my stomach to stretch the dierfram and get more air, oxygen in. Not fully working but close. I fingered the opening on the tube thing and then around, feeling more then seeing anything.

Was that a switch?

This was going to be a bad idea…

"Mommy?" A plaintive voice ask, echo by two others in a coursed, "Momma?"

"Hold on…" I pulled the wrapping around my middle off, the inner part clinging to my side by now sticky blood. Ew again. I wiped off the side of the thing that held Sonic, where glass or…what ever the thick stuff was met metal. I carefully inspected it, bringing my nose almost against it. Then I moved to the right side… AHAH! I poked the open button.

The tube thing fell on me, knocking me down as it stopped and stayed horizontal. I slipped and face planted –EW! EW! EW!- I coughed, hacked and spat out the disgusting stuff that was on the floor and poured out the tube thing. Cuts, scraps and the gashes on my side all burned before numbing over. I spat again and again trying not to swallow. It took two tries to get back up to my feet.

Sticky, fur plastered and distinctly bigger then he used to be, Sonic was couching until he saw me and launched out. I barely caught him, "KI-OY! Mommy!"

For a moment, all I could do was hug him.

I had to snuff the moment, threading my way back to the table where I shifted Sonic to my right hip, pulled Silver onto my left one and turned to let Shadow jump on. The boys were staring at each other with baffled expressions as I starting to where I thought the back of the lab was, trying to keep the wall with in my six feet of sight.

_There_.

I put Silver and Sonic down, the later making squishing sound, and grabbed the wheel. I tested each way, finding it moved to the left and hoping the saying 'right-y tight-y left-y loose-y' was the same here I kept turning until I couldn't. And since the hindges were on this side I pulled.

It opened.

"Oh thank god." I pulled the two hedgies back up and we slithered through, holing the slippery Sonic and Silver with one hand I pulled th door closed and twisted the wheel on this side a few times before sighing. Air was air, a lingering smell of the stuff clinging to us but more breathable for sure.

It wasn't dark, not really, this earthy passage was light by spaced out yellow lights. I looked up at the ceiling, remembered the expositions and hurried as best one could with three cling-ons attracted and one of them soaking wet.


	10. just a little tired

**A Little Thing**

"Blaarg." I 'said,' expressing my opinion at and of the world.

I was echoed by, "Blah." from Sonic where he was resting his head on my right shoulder.

"Mlah," That came from Shadow, he was holding my left hand and leaning against me as we walked for more support.

"Ah-_chi!_" Silver sneezed, holding a rather pretty looking yellow flower away from him, having just sniffed it. He was the only one not hanging onto me in one form or another.

"Bless you." I said automatically, glancing behind me and heaved a sighed. I looked down, just managing to keep the black hedgie from falling after tripping by heaving up and putting him back on his feet.

"I tired."

"'I'm,'" I corrected and sighed again.

"I'm tired." Shadow repeated.

"I know hedgie," I said as I shifted Sonic, who couldn't even stand up on his own. It was something that really worried me, an hour ago he had started wiggling his toes though. "But we can't stop, not yet."

We only had about... fifteen or nearly that many miles between us and the complex. If we had gone _straight_, maybe there would have been more, I don't know right now. I was existed and just about at the ends of my endurance.

"Silver stay by me." I said, watching the albino comeback, and then frowned. "What do you have?" I asked, seeing how he was holding something. I felt Sonic shift to peek and see what was going on, and boosted him up more, back into my center of balance.

Silver looked up from showing his what-ever to Shadow and held it up for me to see, "What is mommy?"

I stared.

I looked around, more alert now and spotted the tree the apple came from.

"Apple!" Sonic proclaimed, trying to reach for it, only he didn't have the best of balance and I have to catch him.

"Whoa, hang on." I said and grinned down at the white hedgie so he would worry about anything being wrong, "Good find hedgie, come on." I led my little…herd? Litter? What _was_ the proper term for a bunch a hedgehogs? I made a mental note to look that up sometime as I set down Sonic and picked up another fallen apple.

All three watched me give it a thorough inspection, bit off and spat a blemished spot before taking a larger bite, the kind you use to tare of a chuck of something, too big for one mouthful. I gave that to Sonic, after everything that just happened in the last day...or eternity, 'germs' weren't high on my list of worries. As Sonic crunched away I sat, let Silver crawl in my lap as I used my teeth to take another chuck of apple off, giving that to Shadow and another for Silver. Two demolished apples later I managed to get a few bites too, by the fifth Shadow had started collecting dragging Silver with him. They didn't eat anything unless I gave the okay, some I pitched.

After a bit I got up to inspect the ground, and then told the boys to stay together as I backed up. Tired or not I was just as starving as the hedgies, but I could jump up and climb to get the apples on the tree. _Trees_ as it turned out.

Ever tried climbing an apple tree? A little easier than say, pines, but still not _so_ easy. I shook the fruit free more than I picked them yet it worked. From what I could tell the boys liked any food they could get, and all three where little bottomless pits. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have been climbing up and down apple trees for an hour, carrying Sonic from once spot to the next. At least another good thing about fruit is that most kinds take the edge of thirst from you. Nothing as good as an almost over ripe peach but the apples worked.

Down side: Full hedgies also meant ever more tired hedgies, meaning when I wanted to head off again I had to carry them. The pace was slower, but at least steady enough.

Unfortunately it gave me time to think, a lot of time at that.

Jack, Lark... were they okay? I mean, I knew them for only a short time, and for all the annoyance of the raccoon anthro, he had seemed like a nice person. What Lark did too...

I kissed the sleeping Sonic between the ears, Shadow too, Silver was leached onto my back. The three weren't that heavy, being so slender in build, but any dead weight gets heavier after a while, I think I had maybe an hour before I had to stop. When I did stop the boys woke up just enough to be more zombie than awake, but they rearranged themselves so Sonic was against my right side (why couldn't I feel the stitches?) and Silver was now slumped on my left side while Shadow was half curled up on my lap.

With only the sounds of three small bodies breathing steadily, some cricket like bugs sounding off and an unnaturally large and full moon. I had time to absorb what had all happened.

How...long had I been out between snuggling with a much tinier Sonic on my couched in a cocoon of blankets, to waking up in Jack's care? I stared down at Sonic, who was about the same size of the other two now, the body of a four year old I guess. He had a perfect tiny bundle, easily able to hide under my poncho when I had to turn in my paper.

I stopped playing with the sapphire quills, near freezing as that thought triggered a chain.

My paper.

Collage.

Work.

Mom.

My sisters.

I looked around me at the strange forest that was like and unlike what I knew. Broad leaved trees, not a pine in sight. Near tropic air even in full night, no crisp tang that tinted the spring nights. The air itself smelled of earth and grass, no random whiffs of low tied or sea breeze and far off rain on the wind…no wind.

_Home..._

No one, not Jake or even Lark had said anything about me going back home, my home. Where I had a life truly starting, I had a part time job, going for another writing degree. My family, my pets- I had three betas and a goldfish that depended on me!

The lab had been well on its way to be crumbling as I hauled the hedgies down that escape route. I had been scared the less stable looking tunnel was going to collapse on us. Dirt and grit had fallen enough that it mixed with whatever was pretty much covering Sonic and I and half of the other two boys, tugging into a more muddy past by the time we crawled out. It had only gotten worst, at points I was scrambling on my stomach with the boys trying to will themselves one with the ground right along with me as I crawled, more dragging the boys since they were hanging onto my jeans, with elbows under bushes to keep out of sight of real, live and _hostel_ robots.

Nothing like Autobots unfortunately.

At one point in my personal take-along-with-you-hell, I had rinsed the worst of the stuff off in a pool, but crunching sounds had me yanking Shadow out of the water and grabbing the other two and running for as long as I could.

Now..._now_ I just wanted to cry and sleep forever or at least until next Friday, pizza day.

I settled for quietly crying and curling up a little.

What else could I do at the exact moment other then let the stress out in the only way I could? The moon lit scenery around me blurred and cleared a little as the wetness spilled down my cheeks. One should never under estimate how much better they can be after a good long cry. Granted I couldn't sob for fear of waking the hedgies, I didn't want and probably couldn't deal with them seeing me like this. I had already seen the way Shadow stared at me whenever I openly limped, or had to stop to lean against something for a minute to be able to breathe right again without gasping.

God I'm going to kill myself if I keep up this pace…but what if we weren't far enough away yet? How far did I have to get us to 'be somewhere safe'? Was I going the right way at all?

Damn it Lark, _why_ couldn't you have- What was he _thinking_-

That _idiot!_

I wanted to scream those words, but…I looked down at a small black side lifting and falling, shifted my gaze to look at Sonic clutching my belt loop in one hand and Silver limp in that utterly tired way of the young...

I thumped my head back against the wooden trunk behind me a few times, resigned. I tried to stay up, or at least doze since we weren't completely hidden, but I was so tired.

* * *

Queen's note: La-GASP! I think I have a plot for this again!


	11. errr

**A Little Thing**

I needed a watch.

No, what I _needed_ was to be sprawled in my bed in my nice warm apartment with my two comforters. My hedgies could join me and we could all heat-leach off each other and the heater right beside my bed. Mmm…yes. That's what would be wonderful.

The sun coming in from the window above…

Huh. The world is fuzzy. No, wait, that was fuzz, fur. I squinted at whatever or whoever it was, still half trapped in a dream. I could hear voices only, any words were garbled and/or just not making it to my internal converter that let you understand spoken syllables.

I wonder if my mind had a warranty. I wonder where I could find out…

Weeeeeeee! I'm weightless!

….aaaaand by that alone I think I'm either A: Hallucinating. B: Drugged. C: Both. Or D: Out of my mind.

I hoped it was 'B' because my boys really didn't need more psychological damage and/or trauma. Hey, Shadow and Silver where less the a day old (aware?) as far as I knew and the only place they knew anything about came literally crumbling down around them, and I was almost scared to think what Sonic had gone though before he was sent to me, and then in that time before I found him again.

Huh…I wonder if my mental warranty would cover them, my hedgies were technically dependents right? Heeeeeey...! I could get a tax write off with them! No, wait... that wouldn't work they don't have a social number, I don't think I could get them one. They also too big to claim I just gave birth too…huh.

Oh! I think I'm waking up! Er, no. I wonder if I should worry, I don't think this was normal. Then again, what was _normal_? I should look it up really. No, I think I did.

'Normal' as a word was an-

"Momma!"

The voice jerked me awake from the hybrid dream/wandering though process and I sat up, eyes wide and involuntarily hugging whoever was in my lap in reaction to being startled awake. I scanned around for... for... I don't know. I blinked, and then again at a giggle that drew my attention downwards. The little white spiky and fluffy poof ball of a hedgehog beamed up at me before giving me a rather over enthusiastic hug. At the same time two other spiky poof balls of blue and black did the same, from the side. Both from the _same_ side.

"...Ow." I said and twisted to let one of the mini hedgehog-missiles under my left arm, "Let me get up." I shook my head, trying to roll over onto my hands and knees, but that was a lot harder than it should be. Not because I had three seemingly hyper little boys climbing on me…

I was still a little groggy and fanning back the mental fog with a piece of paper. Not working very well, everything was... heavy, slowed down both in thoughts and in body.

"Ki-Oy?"

"Sonic?" I stared at the hedgie that was standing, _on his own!_ "Sonic!" I forced my body to work, I could almost hear the metaphorical squeaking of 'rusty' joints as I sat up on my knees and reached out to pull the hedgie into a hug, and before four seconds could go by I did the same to Shadow.

The little black hedgehog's expression turned from thoughtful to surprise and then he hid his face on my shoulder, but clung with a bit more force than the other two. I winced as little but still sharp claws dug in...again. I have a feeling I'm going to look like I was tortured at this rate.

"All better?"

I blinked once more, my turn for being confused as I lifted my right arm to look at Silver. He was crouching on his heals as he had his hands spread out over my side and inspecting it. I winced, ready for the stab of pain now that I remembered the stitches... It didn't come. I only twitched in reaction to the ticklish sensation of Silver's fingers but there was no pain, and there should be pain. I remember it very well thank you very much, because at some points yesterday (god it feels like it's been three weeks) with it was pretty much crippling me.

Shifting so I was sitting with my feet pressed against each other and glancing around for any possible threat, we were alone though at the base of the tree I fell asleep at last night, or this morning. I put Sonic and Shadow there, one sitting on my feet the other on my knee (ow), and carefully felt around my right side. I could feel ridges like scars, as well as the stitches as I fallowed one line with two fingers and my thumb.

Ever try to get a really good, long look at you side? Not quite as easy as it sounds, more so when you're female and I'm not saying why other than if you're a woman too you'll know what's in the way.

I lifted my right hand and frowned my fingers. There was some flakes of dried blood, but mostly my hand was covered with some kind of ultra fine dust or a blue-ish shade. Still frowning, and now fully awake, I gave myself a quick once over, and then checked Silver (who looked more powder blue rather than white), and Shadow, last was Sonic. All of us had this stuff on, but Sonic was the worst. It was crusted thickly on his fur and I rubbed my palm on his stomach several times before glimpsing any of his tan belly.

"What in the world _is_ this stuff?" I demanded, scrubbing some of the crusted stuff on Sonic's ears, it turned to fine powder that I waved away as best I as could. It was also crusted on my jeans as well as in my hair, making it clump and feel heavy. "Ew."

"Blah," Sonic agreed.

Shadow sneezed as he tried to nodded in agreement of our opinions on the matter.

"We need a bath, _badly._" I said, and then added, "Okay, the lot of you get off my legs before they go to sleep, I need to get up." I shooed Silver and Shadow off my knees (this must be stated again: Ow) and Sonic was nudged away. I had to grab at the tree on my first try, then again once I was up as the world around my wavered in a most unpleasant way on its axis. "Whoa, head rush." I muttered as I waited for the spinning to slow down even though nothing around me moved.

I think I had a weird dream, couldn't remember anything other than 'fuzzy' and for some reason something about grammar and taxes.

"Momma?" I looked down at Shadow, who was offering me an apple. "For you."

Smiling I took it and, seeing as all three hedgies were _staring_ at me, I took a bite. I was not seeing things as Shadow, Silver and Sonic all sighed in what had to be relief. I looked down at the spot where I just got up from and then at the bright and rather beautiful day. "How long was I out?"

"'Ere." Sonic bounced in place waving his arms for attention, once I looked at him the blue hedgie pointed at the horizon, "Mornin'."

"Morning? As in good morning?" I quirked up an eyebrow.

"Ya'!" Sonic then pointed upwards and squinted up as well before his pointing finger was aimed at the sun.

I squinted up at it as well. "Ah." That looked like it was near the noon marker, though normal for me half the time (okay so more like sleeping in until 10 at the latest) I couldn't hold the icy feeling that was settling uncomfortably in my stomach. I knelt down slowly (oooh, head rush again) and gathered the three boys in front of me, "Alright, I know you three are a lot smarter than you look." I said making sure each were looking for me and turning the chins of Sonic and Shadow back to aim at me when some buzzing bug flew by, Silver was the only one to keep his eyes on me, "I need you three to tell me what happened from this morning."

Sonic and Silver started talking at the same time.


	12. The new comer

**A Little Thing**

Cross roads, such fun were they not?

This was one of those age old questions of life, "Right or left?" I looked first right, and then left as I spoke, the boys looking with me. This would be some picture I think, maybe cute if I myself didn't look like Medusa fresh from the underworld and the boys more like half drown rats rather than fuzzy hedgehogs.

Hey, I didn't see the pond! It had _looked_ like moss... no I'm not getting into that because of the spiders. All I'll say is that it took much running and an hour to calm the boys down. And three to keep myself from jumping at shadows, you trying calming down after that if you have arachnophobia.

...it had been a _very big_ spider... mass? Hoard?

Yeah, back onto the subject at hand:

"Left, or right." I muttered, holding the hands of Shadow and Sonic, Silver was hanging onto the loop on my jeans meant for a hammer. I had stitched it on a year ago for an job I no longer have in construction. It was a convenient handle all things considering and at the level of the boys.

Murphy's law kicked in once again for the fifth time in three days. The clouds above that had been building all morning and darkening in the now afternoon. Or what I was guesstimating was afternoon. Time wasn't what it should be, I couldn't grasp at the time that past more than an hour it seemed, and had to live in the here-and-now too much to think of what was coming. I was a little over paranoid maybe, but at the same time that may have been… it was a good thing.

More than once or twice _something_ non natural (and I mean robotic not supernatural) have come almost too close to us, mostly at night and in the evening. Oddly never in the morning and only once in the broad daylight. Every time the boys had been clutching at my sides and front as we huddled in one bush or another, a few times up in a tree, waiting for what I was fairly sure were those same robotic things from back at the labs that Lark had-

-not going to think about that right now.

Right now I squinted up to half glare at the sky, at the same time I felt something tighten in my chest as the clouds above looked painfully just like they did at home. Clouds were clouds no matter where you go, same shape and if they were just made of water, the same colors. I have no idea why I was expecting them to be different, other than this area seemed to be semi tropical.

Then, I glared at the sky, "You're not helping." I informed the heavens before looking at the road again.

There were no tracks, it looked like really old blacktop, which seemed funny since it takes years and years as well as weathering to get to the point that this was. What was funny in the strange way was that most roads in the woods are generally gravel. I know these things you see, because my biological father used to be the foreman of a gravel pit: where then made blacktop and crushed gravel for roads. I learned how to drive a CAT bulldozer (can't remember now so many years later) at the pit before I could drive a car, as well as went with the dump truck drivers to construction sites and all sorts of places.

So I knew a few things, not an expert but still knew things like this.

"Mommy!" Sonic tugged on my right hand fingers as he spoke for attention and I looked down. Once sure he had my eyes on him, the little blue fuzzy and spiky hedgie pointed to the right, "Dat way."

I quirked up an eyebrow, and ignoring the near constant itching that started up on my back again as best as I could and glanced at Shadow and Silver, "Vote?" better than nothing.

Shadow perked up and pricked his ears, red eyes looked back and forth before he grasped Silver's hand and tightened his hold on the two fingers of my left hand he was holding onto, before attempting to drag us three with him to the right. I couldn't help but smile, Silver was pulling at my pants leg and Sonic, not to be left out, was hauling with all his might.

I rolled my eyes, "Right it is." I lifted Sonic and put him down on the road surface, "Stay on the blacktop boys, no prints. Just like when we were hopping on stones."

"Ah!" Silver beamed as he let go, pausing to look back up at me and when I smiled back he let go to run ahead a little. Sonic let go at once to run after and Shadow after both. I frowned at Silver's back, out of the three he hasn't spoken much of any true words. A few, but not a lot.

I glanced up, brushing aside the clumps of hair that had refused to separate and were too heavy. It was because of that gunk, I noticed it also sticking to the small quills of the boys, and a lot of it on Sonic's fur hadn't come off yet as well. The warped 'pond' and the rain hadn't seemed to help, if anything the water had made it thinker. It was annoying, and a tad scary. You would think water would have gotten rid of the stuff, but no...

Shooting a narrowed-eyed glare at the sky again I couldn't help the thought of, _You're still not helping_. As if that would help.

Ahead I spotted another fruit tree, this time something other than apples. Too small for apples... I squinted. Nope, not apple, paler- but then again there were pale colored apples. I'm from Washington state, this I do know because at the end of summer and start of fall there's no less than two tons of apples all over town and over a dozen different kinds. And my aunts wonder why I always send them homemade apple chips. Cheaper than potatoes once a year!

"Apricots!" I half yelled, startling the three way poking war going on with the hedgies and bounded forwards to make sure of what I saw. "It is! I _love_ apricots!" I do! I really do! Not as must as peaches but still, betting than apples and wild onions. Reaching up I was just able to pinch the bottom of one of the orange colored fruits, only because the branch was so heavy with them.

The apricot flesh bruised under my fingers as I pulled it down and off. The tree branch swung back up and a few more fruit fell off as a result but I wasn't paying attention. Rolled the apricot over in my hands to make sure there were no bugs, I pulled it into halves, pitched the seed and bit down.

Ayep, it was an apricot alright!

"Mmm…" Sonic gave his light purr-like sound as he too bit into one of the fruits without hesitation, holding his bitten into apricot out to Silver who glanced at me to see me eating before taking a bite.

Shadow was more wary than the other two. Out of the three he was the only one to pay attention and watch closely to what I inspected before letting any of us eat whatever. The black hedgie dusted the apricot he'd picked up off the ground like the other two, but he turned it around in his hands a few times. Once done he held it up for me to double check before eating it, throwing the seed in the same spot I'd tossed mine.

Interesting.

Blinking, I did a double take on the spot the two seeds were and moved closer, my next apricot in hand. Kneeling down I glanced to my left where Shadow had appeared, the other two hedgies were sitting down and eating still. I smiled, "Want to see something cool?" I asked.

Red eyes met my own and Shadow nodded, holding his fruit in both hands as he dropped to his knees beside me. "Ya."

I reached past the seeds just beyond the black top and grasped the base of the green stems and pulled. After a huff the carrot was free and Shadow was wide-eyed. Hey, this was his first time _ever_ seeing a carrot, you'd be impressed too in his possession. I was about to wipe it off on my jeans, thought better of it and just used my hands. A little dirt never hurt anyone, and it wasn't like there was pesticides here.

I bit off the first part, moved that bite to the side and took off a smaller bit and handed it to Shadow for him to try. As soon as the hedgies were all entertained with trying this new thing out, I took a good look around. Could this be a farm? Or something like that?

This just seemed too good to be true.

Muttering a, "I wonder," I sat down and crossed my legs. Without really looking I pulled the carrot top out of Sonic's mouth and ferwapped him with it. Only Shadow seized on this and turned it into a game, war between the brothers (for a lack of a better term) started again. Yet soon Silver took up residence in my lap, evidently the safe zone.

It had taken several days on foot for us to reach this spot from the labs. I know one can driver far... uh, farther in a day than one can walk. Could these fruit trees and carrots (and whatever else out here) have been for the people at the labs? It was possible, but it wasn't like I have a map or Lark to ask.

Heaving a sigh, I smoothed down the quills on Silver's head. He tilted his face up at me, smiling like there was no better place in the world he'd rather be. I couldn't help but smile back and kiss his nose and pressed my forehead to his for a moment and then kissed that too. "I love you." I said without thinking as I hugged him close.

"You look like you need help."

All things considering, I am happy I didn't scream, and thus probably make Silver loose his hearing. I did manage to jump sideways despite being in a cross-legged sitting pose, as well as what I could guess was a pretty good impression of a dear-in-a-semi's-headlights look. I was _not_ expecting to hear a male's voice... or I should say a man's voice for the tone was far deeper then the my three boys'.

Twisting around I looked at the other side of the small roadway and _up_ at a light and dark brown anthro I never met. Yet at the same time I knew what he was, kind of hard not to with those long head spines.

Standing at a good, what? Six feet? Five foot ten at least? He was big in the build, like those guys at the gym I sometimes spied on my work-out days back home, only this anthro didn't seem _too_ big. He... fit into himself I guess you could say. Though he had bare feet and chest (well, he had a sparkly necklace on that would trigger anyone's 'Ooo...! _Shiny!_' reflex) this anthro had on cut off shorts of sorts that may have been cargo pants at one point in time.

Soft eyes the color of milk chocolate looked back at me, a half formed smile of amusement started to form below those eyes at the tri-yelp of, "Mommy!" from the boys and resulting glomp had me half pinned down.


	13. Realizing Responsibilities

**A Little Thing**

"Aaaahhh..." Silver sprawled out over my legs, arms flung out in sleepy, happy bliss as I rubbed his little feet. I chuckled, I couldn't help it really. Silver had the same reaction as Shadow and Sonic did, not that blame any of them. I wanted a foot rub too! After so long running around gods' knows what that was on the ground for what seemed like the month on bare feet all around...

Such fun.

I love this creek, I really do. I even kissed Latch for bringing us here. Six baths later and much drinking of the clean water our new 'guard' had brought from upstream and the four of us were now sprawled in the sun. I spent at least twenty minutes on Sonic and Shadow's feet and now I'm doing the same for Silver, all of our feet were a wee bit worst for ware as you can imagine.

"Feeling better?" Latch asked as he come over to us, balancing what looked like a cleaned hubcap. That's okay, I couldn't care less since it had food in it, including fish.

PROTEAN!

Yeah I've been lacking it.

Giving Latch a look like he was the best person in the world, and at the moment he was, I smiled, "_Yes_, thank you again."

The echidna gave a rumbling chuckle, "You've said that too much. Looks like the boys are getting some well disserved sleep." He added looking at the closer of the two hedgies as he sat down, reaching up with his free hand to take off the cowboy style hat he had on.

"You better be careful," I said eyeing the hat, "That might get stolen."

"I'm sure I can find it," Latch had a lop sided smile as he put the fish on the fire to cook (I'd be happy with sushi at this point but I can wait a little). He shifted around until his long legs were starched out in front of him as he leaned back to brace himself on his elbows. Like I said before he was an echidna anthro, his fur was a brown color, more of an orange-tan shade. He had those head spines that came down to his hips, but were pulled back so that all but a couple were tied to be out of his way. Latch had eyes that were coffee-colored, and where sharper than you would guess.

"So, now that we've all been cleaned, watered, drained and cleaned again." I started after a comfortable twenty minutes of listening to the breeze in the trees above. I kept my voice soft since Silver had at last conked out and Sonic and Shadow were still sleeping on either side of me. "Care to explain more than that sixty second rushed thing form before? Not to seem like we don't appreciate the help Latch, we really do."

The...man? Male? Echidna? I have to find out the proper term, he shifted to pull himself up and started to divided up the fist cooked fish with a long knife that was pulled out of his right boot. Latch spoke as he worked, "As I told you, I was a part of security in the facility, head of outside security really."

I nodded, excepting the leaf made 'plate' that was offered with a nice hunk of fish with a berry something or another much on it, not too much since it had been so long since I had a decent meal. Mmm...protean.

"Excluding the gory details, I won't give you anymore nightmares than you may already have." Latch continued, "I tried to save some of those held captive, Doctor Lark-" My head snapped up at that, food forgotten, "Told me about them, and you." The echidna nodded to the sleeping boys before looking up at me, "My job became tracking you four down, whipping out any tracks along the way, that's why it took so long to find you."

"Makes sense," I said, thinking about what Lark had said and that letter when I first found Sonic. These boys were 'made' as a hope for this world against Robotnic... I looked down at Silver in my lap, Shadow to the right where he was half hugging my knee and Sonic to the left, storing but keeping a hold on my jeans' belt loop. "There's just babies..."

"Yes," Latch agreed, I blinked since I hadn't realized I spoke that out loud, "That's why I'm here, to protect them and you. You don't know this world Tallen, and," He hesitated.

I eyed him, some little red flag popping up in the back of my mind. "'And?' Oh spit it out Latch, I've figured out that I probably will never go home, and I know something else is up with the drastic weight loss. Even in the last days without that much food this kind of loss doesn't happen normally for humans."

"Exactly: human," Latch nodded, reaching over to lift a lock of my hair up to draw attention to it. A lock that wasn't strawberry blond with hints of red anymore but had been darkening slowly into a more tanish-gold color. A lock that I had already noticed that had all the little strands of hairs that were fusing together. "You were exposed to that compound they were using on..."

He looked down at Sonic and the other two, and had an expression that probably matched something I made a few times when thinking of that 'gas treatment' room and the tube container Sonic had been drenched in.

"It's changing me." I said, it wasn't a question though Latch nodded. I picked at my fish, carefully chewing several mouthfuls even though most of my appetite had fizzled up. I still needed the protein after all as well as all the other good things that were in fish. Like Omega 3. I looked up, "Let me guess, because I've been exposed to them." I motioned to the sleeping hedgies.

Latch nodded, "Doctor Lark said it was a chance, more so with," He paused, frowning, "He said that something was left behind when you 'landed' on one of the little ones...?"

I dropped a hand down to my side, fingers feeling over the stitches I couldn't get out. Something left behind? A chip of a blue quill or something like that? I know my theories of a kind of retro virus that alters the host DNA and then the person, thus anthros. Is that what's happening now?

"This is going to be fun," I muttered, shoulders slumping as a metaphorical knife blade stabbed at my heart. Each stab bringing memories of home and my family and friends, of my apartment, work, collage, my favorite places to walk to in town...

Latch shifted closer, resting a hand on my back before rubbing up and down, "Sometimes you really want to shoot Fate eh?"

"Stupid curveballs," I muttered, agreeing and leaned as best I could on the strength the echidna offered as memories still swam around in my mind's eye.

"Mommy!" Sonic yelled as he woke up his claws scraping against the bare skin of my side and catching one of the stitches. I went cross-eye as I sucked in a breath, at the same time pulling Sonic up into my arms.

"It's okay," I said, for this wasn't the first time Sonic had a bad dream. I watched Latch pull out his knife again and nodded after he motion to my side. I nodded and leaned away to let him cut and pull out the stitches. I turned Sonic's head so he wouldn't stress as I spoke to him. "Just a nightmare hedgie, it's all over."

Too bad I couldn't wake up. Sucks to have responsibilities... but I guess that's a part of growing up and maturing, especially when you have a young life (or three) to take care of.

Hey look, I'm a mother now.

Wow.


	14. if it looks like a trap

**A Little Thing**

It was a cabin. An old creaky, worn out, grey colored cabin that in the current setting looked like it could be a part of one of the old cheesy 'horror' movies I like. I was both leery and grateful to see the thing and I wasn't the only one with those mixed feelings for the cabin. Beside me Latch sighed deeply, Silver tightened his hold on me where I was balancing him on my hip. Shadow's grip increased on my hand as he edge closer to my leg. Sonic, who was in Latch's arms gave a little squeaking sound as he tried to hide under the echidna's spines.

There was a long moment of staring by the five of us, the rain continued to poor down in that level that was beyond 'pouring cats and dogs.' We were just short of having to swim more than walk, I had just been ready to pick up Shadow when our little group came close enough to see the cabin with the bad visibility. There was just something about the cabin, and not the look alike to horror movies, as well as the light in the window that set off red flags.

It took a few moments to realize one thing that set of the metaphorical caution flag in me at least. I blinked and glanced over at Latch, "White light."

The brown echidna rumbled a half growl from his chest, "Yes. Not a yellow light."

"Or flickering like a firelight would." I added.

"And no power lines."

"Or sounds of a generator."

"No converter for a power crystals." Latch continued, words slow and thoughtful. The boys were shifting their eyes between me and Latch and back to the cabin, listening and looking for what we talking about.

I turned to give Latch a half smile, "Trap?" I asked shifting Silver's weight on my hip so he was more in my center of balance.

"Trap," The echidna agreed as he shifted Sonic, reaching out to lift Shadow up, and after I disentangled my hand, swung the black furred hedgie onto his back. "Come on, we're going off the road, don't run. And don't turn you back yet."

I was backing up, hesitating to see witch direction Latch was moving to, his eyes fixed on the cabin. "Voices down boys," I warned, glancing fist at Silver though he was the quiet of the three. The Echidna nodded at my words, splitting his attention between different things, not just where he was putting his feet and watching the cabin but everywhere. How he did it I'm not sure but he didn't fall over, thus my boys weren't hurt.

We didn't turn and pick up the place until we put several tree between the cabin and us. I looked up and made a face as I saw the kind of tree we were under. Latch looked back at me as I made a tiny sound before stooping as I walking, slowing just enough to grab up several avocados and shove them into my new pack (Latch had made it for me the day before, no idea how he did it though…), "What?"

"Really?" Latch demanded in a low voice, scowling at me.

"Yes really," I said as I shoved as many of the fallen fruit that I could, that didn't look rotten, into the pack to join the onions, carrots, apples and cooked if cold fish. "I don't trust that this all to convenient way there's food baring trees here and there and everywhere will last, I'm planning ahead."

"I told you this Zone has these trees and other edible things for the facility-"

"Shiny." Silver's voice, though soft was also so unexpected that Latch cut himself off, he and I tensed and focused first on the albino Hedgie. Fallowing where he was looking, not back to where the cabin was but slightly to the side of where we were going.

The brown echidna put Sonic and shadow down, pushing them at me before he shoved his hat more firmly in place. At the same time as he started forward, Latch pulled out a side arm from a holster at his hip (his belt, torn pants/shorts and hat were the only real clothing he had- hehehe).

I meanwhile had the boys and was off going in the direction we had originally come from. Not back to the cabin, due east. I couldn't make it extremely far caring all three boys, but a new adrenalin spike helped quite a bit. After all, that gland that makes adrenalin or whatever it was had some time to re-charge so to say. When I had to set Silver and Shadow down, Sonic was clinging to my back now, I looked back. Still tense but about to pull off the side pouch/pack, hey it was kind of heavy and had hard apples in it...

"It's clear," Latch said as he came out of the underbrush, but he was moving faster than his normal walk. Something was in his left hand but his pistol… thingy- it didn't look like any firearm I knew of- was back in it's holster, "But we half to move."

"What did-hey!" I yelped as Latch grabbed me to shove something in my pack.

"Boys, come on grab hold of your mom and me." Latch interrupted as he picked up Silver, "I'll explain later, I promise."

* * *

"Okay it's later." I demanded, paused to look around at the near dark of the both the evening and the part cave, part dug in shelter we were in. Honestly I was expecting a bare to come wandering in any minute, but at the same time I was relieved that we could get out of the weather. We could get semi dry as well as have some security that the cave thing provided naturally. "Why the rush on the rush?"

Latch looked over from where he was pulling folage over the narrower cavern entrance. The shape of this place reminded me of a bottle really, Latch had to stoop to get in. He came back over where I was holding the sleeping forms of Sonic and Silver, Shadow almost zonked out against me as well.

"You were right about that cabin being a trap." The echidna said, pausing to be sure his job of covering the entrance was good. It was, so much so that I couldn't see almost and I have good night vision.

"I assumed that, but what-Ow! That's my foot!"

"Sorry! Here, don't move let me get-"

"AH!"

"Shadow!"

"Mommy!"

"You _stepped_ on him Latch!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

There was more than a little confusion in the dark before a there was a _click_ and a light, a flash light came on. Latch was holding the light and came the few steps over to where I was now sitting and trying to keep three, now awake hedgies in my lap as all three decided they needed extra attention at the same time. Despite their size and ability to soak up speech, the boys were still… what? Less than a month old.

"Where did…?" I started, looking up at the echidna, and then my eyes focused and I took in the boxes in the back of the cavern. I blinked.

"Emergency supplies." Latch explained as he coaxed Shadow into letting him check the black colored hedgie's little foot. "This is one of the 'just in case' places my team made." The former security chief of 'the facility' paused, and I winced. I knew now that he was the only one of his security team that had gotten away from the attack. Latch hadn't said who had attacked but coupling the robots and my own knowledge of 'Sonic's world' as well as that letter from the very start of this mess, I think I know who it was.

And I was fairly sure I'd stab Robotnick given the chance.

For now, I disentangled myself from the boys and the pack, stepping over Sonic as Silver pounced on Shadow. The two younger brothers scuffled before settling down as I came back over with towels that Latch had pulled out from one of the boxes. "Let's get you guys dried off."

"Me first!" I smiled at Sonic's words as he launched himself at me and into the open towel that I wrapped around him.

"Can we sleep?" Shadow asked, yawning as Latch started to rub the rain water out of his fur.

"We eat first." I said smiling and flipping another towel over Silver. "Then you can sleep." I glanced as Latch to see his reaction to my worlds and was relieved that he was nodding in agreement.

"I take it back Tallen, It was a good idea to be grabbing all that fresh food." Latch said after we were all mostly dry and wrapped in blankets.

I grinned over at him from where I was pealing an avocado, and trying to keep Silver from eating the peals, "Looks better than those packs you have." I noted eyeing the silver packages that were the shape of over sized granola bars. I watched Latch toss one over his shoulder with a grimace as he came back over to the place the boys and I had made a sort of nest and up ended my pack to sort through what I had been gathering the last day and a half.

It was a lot.

"It is, even if it's left over fish." Latch said starting to set up a mini gas stove.

"Save that for the morning," I stopped him nodding at the boys.

Shadow was sound asleep holding a carrot under his blanket to my right, head propped on my out stretched leg. Sonic to the left was just dropping off having finished his fish cold, his beautiful emerald eyes that were a bit of darker shade from his exposition were drifting close and he looked about to fall over backwards. Latch reached out to catch him and ease the hedgie down. Up against my right side was Silver, slowly chewing a mouth full of avocado, his own golden gaze staring blankly and unfocused at nothing.

"I think they should sleep fist after all." I said putting the half pealed avocado aside and lifting Silver up to wrap my arms around him. Silver's little white arms, well off white at the moment from a few tumbles in the mud, reached up to loosely encircled my neck. Head up under my chin, Silver gave a deep sigh and when limp in sleep.

"That really is cute," Latch commented softly, a soft smile in place as he watched.

I shifted Silver a little to kiss him between the ears, "Yeah..." Dear god I wanted a good cuddle... With considerable will power I pulled my attention back to the echidna, "So what's with the big and shiny?" I asked, nodding at the oval shaped 'crystal' that was about five and half inches long and sitting by the onions.

"A power crystal." Latch said picking up the crystal that looked to be cut like a gem stone. I took it and turned it over in my left hand before passing it back, "They're very useful, and if we find a transport that doesn't have a power source." He wiggled the crystal before putting it in my bag and starting to put the assorted veggies and fruits back in as well, the crystal at the very bottom.

"Smart." I reached up to scratch at my scalp, wincing.

"Still have headaches?" Latch paused.

I nodded, "It's started to itch all over again."

There was a long silence as I put Silver down besides Shadow, extracting my leg from the darker colored hedgie. After a hesitation I moved Sonic to be by silver and rearranged the blankets so the boys would be well warm and could glomp each other too if they needed. I was worried about them because of the rain that had been coming down all day and the night before.

"Here," Latch pressed several warm pouches covered in red fabric after another trip to the boxes in the back. "Heat packs."

"Thanks." I slid the packs under the blankets, three at the hedgies' feet and the last two on either side, by Shadow and Sonic.

"We're going to stay here for the next few days." The brown echidna said as he pushed his hat up a bit, he was looking at me intently, "You're not going to be able to move after tonight from what Dr. Lark said. And this is as secure as anywhere, if not better." Latch nodded.

"Wouldn't happen to have any pain killers in those magic boxes would you?" I gave a week smile.

"I have morphine."

"...oh fun... drunken, drug addled ramblings here I come."


	15. amusement factor

**A Little Thing**

Drunken, drug addled ramblings I have... many of them.

OH MY GOD I HAS FUUR!

Fuur…

_Furr...!_

Damn it I can't say it right.

….Or I just need to shave. It's been a few weeks…weeeeeeek become the days become the month become the… the…

Pretty rainbow!

I want an onion. What do you mean there's no more onions Latch? …there's …there's no more onions? But I _need_ and onion! I NEED ONE! Why? Because I'm having a craving of coarse Shadow.

Why is Latch running after Shadow?

Aw, I love you my boys! Thank you for cuddling with me Sonic, Silver.

GAH!

My tail bone!

….I have a tail?

Okay I really need to shave. It's fur like you Sonic? Huh. Hey! I said it right!

Oh, hi Latch! Where did you come from?

Why are you stacking onions on my lap Shadow?

Tell Latch to caramelized some fore me would you? It's easy, just cut them up, put them in a pan with butter and brown sugar. It's pretty good, on chicken and steak.

Hmm… steak.

Hey Silver, why is Shadow fallowing Latch around with onions?

Aw, thank you for the flowers Sonic, they're beautiful like your eyes, and yes yours too Shadow.

Yes Silver, you can have an avocado if there's any left. But no eating the seed or the skin! You can plant the seed.

I said Silver can have an avocado Latch-! What? That was two days ago? ….oh.

No I don't think I need any more painkillers thanks though.

Yes I'm sure.

OH MY GOD! GIVE BE THE DAMN MORPHINE LATCH!

Look at the pretty ranbow…


	16. Ow Just Ow

**A Little Thing**

"Ugh, I have a hangover." I winced, putting an arm over my eyes to keep any hint of light out. Didn't woke as much as I wanted for there was glaring after imagines that flashed in a pattern like my heart beat, but that was still better then a when I first opened my eyes.

"That's the first coherent thing you said all week." Latch's deep voice rumbled, slightly louder thanks to my hangover like state. I whined in response even as my arm was pried away and something soft and damp was put over my closed eyes. "Here."

"…thanks." I paused, "Would you happen to have any water?"

"Hold on," There was movement and then Latch was back. He helped me into a somewhat sitting pose, one hand on my back (ow) and the other putting what felt like a canteen in my hands before he lifted that hand. To hold what I was assuming was a washcloth on my eyes. "Better?"

"Mmm."

"Slow sips."

"That's what I'm doing." I would have rolled my eyes if I could but even thinking of that little movement made my head hurt, but I did managed to smile a little. "I'm hung over not witless." I paused and then asked, "What's on my legs?"

Latch paused, then the brown echidna gave an amused rumble, "Shadow and Silver right now, Sonic's the bundle against your side."

Holding the damp washcloth against my eyes with my left hand, I pushed the water back to Latch so I could use my free right hand. Gently feeling around near my hip before finding a fuzzy ear and then carefully smooth down the fur and tiny developing quills.

"I feel lighter." I said as I realized this fact and several other facts about my person.

"You are," Latch conferred, "Your body couldn't get enough energy from the foods during the conversion so it..."

"Cannibalized fat and muscle tissue." I started to nod but cringe, "Ooowww... damn drug hangover."

"Give it a few hours."

"Er..."

"What?" I could hear Latch tilting his head, his spines shifted and faintly rattled.

"I have to _go_..."

"...right. Let me get the heat latching paper weights off you first."

The next fifteen minutes that involved a hidden port-a-potty thing, a tarantula and me screaming like a little girl shall not be mentioned again. _Ever_!

So, twenty minutes later, Latch and I were settled back down, I was clinging to him and keeping an eye out for spiders as he started up his little stove to start breakfast. Movement of a non scuttling verity attracted my attention down to see Sonic yawning widely, enough to see all his little teeth. He flopped after stretching, gazing up at the roof of our cave thing that seemed to have become our home for the time being.

I nudged the brown echidna and nodded at Sonic, the hedgie had somehow paused despite just laying sprawled there. Then, slowly, he reached out and with his fingers spread and felt around with his left hand; where I had been.

Sonic sat up, his emerald eyes widening until he jerked his head around; his searching gaze landing on me where Latch and I were cooking fish and attempting to open ration bars respectively, "KI-OY!" He yelled, waking the other two fur balls. Sonic twisted and launched himself up- seeming to forget that he'd just woken up not twenty seconds before, and bolted over with all the grace of a blue, fuzzy three foot something tall train.

"Sonic!" I just managed to toss aside my cutting knife to Latch, opening my arms and letting the boy impact against my chest. I huffed and my head throbbed painfully in time with my heartbeat as I still had my drug induced headache. But I didn't let go, I pulled the hedgie up into as tight as a hug that I dared (not that I had any kind of strength at the moment), rubbing my head against Sonic's before kissing him on each little fuzzy ear and between.

"Mommy!"

I looked up and freed one arm to let in Silver as he scrambled over, dragging the shared blanket a little, and after a few moments I managed to pull a dazed but grinning Shadow into the group hug. This was one of those reuniting times that had it been in a movie, or book, it would almost seem cheesy. Maybe it did seem that way as I all but smothered each hedgehog boy with love, I did hear Latch start chuckling to the side as we acted like we had been apart for months.

...yet in a way, we _had_ been apart.

I know I had been out of my mind this last week, from both my own hazy, disjointed memories and from what Latch had said. So, as the brown echidna anthro saw to making breakfast of hot fish and sliced avocado and ration bars- it sounded and smelled like the best meal in the world right now, the boys and I bonded. Re-familiarizing ourselves with each other, taking note of differences and what was the same.

Quite obviously, I was the one who changed the most. Not just the fine, soft fur but in body shape as well to a point, as far as I could tell my voice was thankfully still the same. As strange as this was, it would have been even stranger if I didn't have my voice.

I'm not exactly sure, other then the fact that it was _my voice_.

The fur I now had was a lighter shade, not exactly blond or a light brown. Just pale, I can't help but wonder if I'll get a similar coloration after while like sonic, since was his quill tip in my side. However I probably looks more closely retaliated to Silver at the moment then the other two, but that was okay.

Shadow pushed himself up onto my lap, resting his head against my collar bone. I smoothed a hand down over his own downy soft black fur and smiled, "Hey hedgie," I kissed him on one fuzzy ear.

"You have 'em too." Sonic said, standing on his toes to reach up and pat something on my head. I reached up and felt around more carefully.

"Yep," Latch nodded when I glanced over at him for confirmation, "Their more like the boys now, not big but..." The echidna shrugged, "We'll find a mirror later."

"So what do we do now?" I asked, letting Silver get a better look at the side of my head as well, he was eyeing what I could only describe as an extremely soft quill.

"Food!" Sonic yelled, and was promptly seconded by Shadow.

Latch burst out laughing and I was a half a second behind him, "Well, I'd say we feed these bottomless pits first." The male said, pulling his hat off and after ruffling the blue hedgie's head fur set it on the grinning Sonic. "How you managed to feed them after leaving the lab before getting into the fields…"

"I'm not even sure." I said, cupping Silver's face and kissed him over the eyes. "Gave you a run for your money did they?"

"To say it lightly," Latch snorted in an exasperated way before pointing his knife at me, "And you with your onions and avocados were no help."

"They helped." Shadow said clearly, keeping one of his hands firmly grasped onto my shirt.

Wait.

Shirt?

I looked down and blinked at the white tank-top on my person instead of my sports bra before eyeing Latch. "Oy!"

"Oh don't start that again," The echidna rolled his eyes.

Silver giggled.


	17. Together

**A Little Thing**

"Aren't you sick of onions?" Latch asked as he sat down next to me.

I smiled with a chuckle, not responding as I had my mouth full. Shrugging and swallowing I shifted until I was leaning against the echidna. "You'd think I would be, if I ate as many as you said I did, but for the life of me, I don't get why not. Maybe there something in them I need." I took another bite of the raw onion, it wasn't a Walla-Walla sweet, but for some reason it just tasted so good.

"More than likely," Latch said as he pulled off his hat and wrapped his left arm around me, letting me heat leach.

"The boys still napping?" I asked, offering the large onion up and to my right, holding it as the echidna took a bite. I could feel as well as hear him rumble an affirmative. "Have anywhere in particular in mind of where we should be going?"

The echidna swallowed as I took a bite, "Yes, but it's a bit of a long shot that the guy I'm thinking will still be there. Even if Chuck isn't there, the Zone is one of the safest in that it's beyond what Robotnik would consider, but not so far out that if he were looking for," Latch tilted his head back in a quick jerk, "Them…"

"Basically out of the way but not so far out that it was obvious?"

"Yes." Latch nodded, paused and nudged me. Grinning I offered the onion again so he could take another bite. "Those are good. Anyways, I want to wait for a little bit so you can travel without keeling over after half a day."

"I did that once or twice already," I shook my head wincing, "Really don't want to do it again."

"If you feel up to a an hour's walk," Latch said looking down, "After the boys wake up, we can head down to the lake, spend the afternoon there as well as get some fresh fish for lunch and dinner."

I considered that, chewing before nodded and smiled up at the brown anthro. "I think we'd all like that." More so after... everything that had happen.

"And, while we're there you can get your hedgies to take a bath." Latch made a face and snorted.

I giggled, "A bath sounds great."

"Good."

"Got soap?"

"Yep, biodegradable and acutely works, nor takes off your fur."

"...well I sure hope not."

"You're be shocked what you find in the bigger cities."

"You'll have to show me what to avoid."

Latch glanced down, his brown eyes meeting my gaze, as I had been staring you at him as we talked instead of staring out over the forest. I watched his gaze soften and then I was pulled the few inches by the arm around me so I was against his side.

"I think I will Tallen."

Smiling, I rested my head against Latch. We sat like that, comfortable and content as we watched birds flit from the assorted trees to others. There was nothing larger then that oddly, nor any sign of the robots that had leveled the labs that were nearly all the way over on the other side of this Zone.

After a while a small yawn was heard before Silver stumbled out of out hideout. The white hedgie- who was now gray really now that he was in sunlight, stretched out his arms up and from my angle I saw his little tail arched up with the stretching motion as well and I couldn't help giggling. "Come sit with us?" I asked.

Silver smiled and nodded as he moved over to where we were sitting. The off white hedgie climbed up into Latch's lap and I noticed what he had in his hands more clearly. Silver settled down and smiled, holding an avocado out to me. "I have please?"

"Yeah, you can have it." I smiled and took it to peel off half the skin before handing it back as Silver squirmed in excitement.

"You and onions, him and avocados." Latch shook his head but was smiling as he held one hand near the hedgie incase Silver fell over.

"He could have a worse favorite food thus far." I pointed out, tweaking Silver's ear.

"Eh!" Silver ducked his head, but he was grinning as he turned his golden eyes up to me and I smiled back. Glancing over to the entrance as Shadow wandered out, eyes half lidded the boy all but staggered tiredly over to us. I pulled him up into my lap as I moved to lean against Latch. As the dark hedgie dosed with his head on my chest, Sonic emerged last and wedged himself between me and the Echidna with a deep contented sigh.

Latch reached up, finger brushing the brim of his hat as if he was going to august it but lowered his hand to rub behind Silver's ears, "By Chaos these boys are almost growing by the hour... and they eat all the time."

"Welcome to my world." I grinned, remembering the time of roughly two weeks when it was just the four of us and my sometimes desperate times of finding ripe food or something that wouldn't possibly hurt the hedgies.

"Ki-Oy? 'Atch?" Sonic tugged first at the loose cut off pants that Latch had given me (fit so much more comfortable than my now far too stiff and crusty for me to even want to think of getting back into), and the echidna's closer hand, "What now?" He asked quite clearly.

As Latch was blinking in surprise, I shifted the more awake Shadow, "Well," I started, seeing no reason to fib about plans, "We're going to a lake, where we can all get squeaky clean, play around and do some fishing."

"Mmmm." Shadow smiled and seemed to come more awake at the mention of any kind of food.

Chuckling, Latch stood, holding Silver and helping Sonic up as well, and fallowing his lead I carefully rose. I had to put Shadow down as my balance was still a little wobbly at random times. "Come on boys, you wanted to see the lake, now we can all go together."

"Yeah!" Sonic agreed, coming back to take my other hand, "Together." He added with so much feeling in his tone I looked back down at him.


End file.
